Evaluation of substrate specificity of biosensor models based on strains degrading polycyclic aromatic compoundsReshetilov, A N; Iliasov, P V; Fesay, A P; Ivashchenko, G V; Taranova, L A; Winther-Nielsen, M; Emnéus, Jenny Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Reshetilov, A. N., Iliasov, P. V., Fesay, A. P., Ivashchenko, G. V., Taranova, L. A., Winther-Nielsen, M., & Emnéus, J. (2005). Evaluation of substrate specificity of biosensor models based on strains degrading polycyclic aromatic compounds. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, 41(1), 56-62. DOI: 10.1007/s10438-005-0011-y General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.• Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research.• You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal 0003-6838/05/4101-Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2005, pp. 56-62. Translated from Prikladnaya Biokhimiya i Mikrobiologiya, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2005, pp. 64-71. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute one of the most dangerous classes of pollutants. A number of derivatives of these compounds belong to the group of supertoxicants, i.e., compounds capable of exerting a toxic effect on a broad range of organisms even in concentrations 10 -12 -10 -9 M. In addition, many of these compounds have a cumulative effect, suppress immune and endocrine systems, have carcinogenic activity, etc. Combined environmental pollution with PAHs and surface-active substances (SASs) is of particular danger, because surfactants are able to solubilize substrates of many types. Besides, SASs constitute a large group of xenobiotics commonly found in industrial and household waste. Although surfactants are less dangerous than PAHs and surfactants in low concentrations readily degrade in the environment, their content in ecosystems of some regions is substantially above the normal level, and this fact itself is an environmental hazard.Surfactants aggravate toxicity of polycyclic compounds by solubilizing them. In some cases, this process facilitates and accelerates their biodegradation by increasing the concentration of accessible xenobiotics in the aqueous phase [1]. The effect of acceleration of biodegradation of PAHs in the presence of SASs was reported for some degrader strains [2,3] and successfully used in bioremediation processes, nonionogenic SASs (NSASs) being the most effective because of low toxicity and high rate of biodegradation [4,5]. Thus, strains capable of mediating accelerated degradation of PAHs in the presence of SASs (nonionic detergents, in particular) are ...