title: Monitoring of alkane-degrading bacteria in a sea-water microcosm during crude oil degradation by polymerase chain reaction based on alkane-catabolic genes.
abstract: Behaviour of microbial populations responsible for degrading n-alkanes, a major component of crude oil, was monitored during crude oil degradation in a sea-water microcosm by both traditional colony culturing and molecular techniques. A DNA extraction method applicable to crude oil-amended sea-water samples was developed to obtain DNA applicable to most probable number (MPN) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The population of alkane-degrading bacteria responsible for degradation of n-alkanes in a crude oil-amended microcosm altered, so that shorter alkanes were degraded first by alkane-degrading bacteria possessing alkane hydroxylase genes from group I (Kohno et al., 2002, Microb Environ 17: 114-121) and longer ones afterwards by those possessing alkane hydroxylase genes from group II. Thus, the degradation mechanism of the n-alkanes can be clarified during crude oil degradation. Application of the method of detecting different types of alkane-catabolic genes, as shown in the present study, enabled bacterial groups preferring alkanes of either shorter or longer chain lengths to be enumerated selectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan. sei@mail.yamanashi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sei
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohno
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012623:Seawater; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D010578:Petroleum; D042926:Cytochrome P-450 CYP4A