title: Bacillus naphthovorans sp. nov. from oil-contaminated tropical marine sediments and its role in naphthalene biodegradation.
abstract: A Bacillus sp., designated as strain MN-003, was isolated as the dominant cultivatable naphthalene-degrading organism from oil-contaminated tropical marine sediments. Strain MN-003 is strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, Gram-positive, catalase positive, oxidase negative, and forms endospores. Strain MN-003 grew at salinities ranging from 0.28 to 7.00% and temperatures ranging from 15 to 41 degrees C. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that strain MN-003 is most similar to Bacillus sp. VAN14, with a 16S rRNA sequence identity of 97.9%. Based on taxonomic and 16S rRNA data, strain MN-003 was named Bacillus naphthovorans sp. nov. When grown with naphthalene as sole carbon source, strain MN-003 had a maximal specific growth rate (mu(max)) of 0.32 +/- 0.03 h(-1), and a half-saturation constant (K(S)) of 22.3 +/-4.2 microM. A batch study of the tropical marine sediments enriched with naphthalene showed that cells of the Bacillus genus grew to become dominant members of the microbial community. The bacilli comprised 39.5 +/- 6.5% of the microbial fraction after 20 days of enrichment.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Engineering Research Centre, Division of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: W Q
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: W Q
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Maszenan
authors.forename: S T L
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Tay
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010578:Petroleum; D010802:Phylogeny; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical
chemical_list: D009281:Naphthalenes; D010578:Petroleum; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012989:Soil Pollutants