Characterization of floating activity of indigenous diesel-assimilating bacterial isolates.
Six diesel-degrading bacterial strains were isolated from oil-polluted sites located in central Taiwan. The floating activity of the isolates in an oil-supplemented liquid medium was monitored. Cell-surface hydrophobicity as well as cell-free and cell-residue emulsification activities were also investigated. Three isolates, identified as Gordonia alkanivorans CC-JG 39, Rhodococcus erythropolis CC-BC 04, and R. erythropolis CC-BC 11, were found to float and grow near the diesel layer on the surface. The other three isolates (namely, Comamonas testosteroni CC-CF3, Acinetobacter sp. CC-CF 5, and Sphingomonas yanoikuyae CC-CG 22) did not display floating activity, as they distributed uniformly in the liquid medium. Isolated cell walls of the floating strains appeared to settle at a lower sucrose density than the non-floating strains. The floating strains were also characterized by a higher cell-surface hydrophobicity and a higher cell-residue emulsification activity than the non-floating strains. In fact, the floating strains were thought to produce extracellular emulsifiers due to their higher supernatant emulsification activity than the non-floating strains. The floating activity of G. alkanivorans CC-JG 39 may be associated with the production of extracellular polymeric substances that formed an "air-bag" structure facilitating cell floating. The floating ability may also correlate with a high cellular hydrophobicity arising from unique cell wall compositions or cell-wall-bound surface active products.
Lin
Ta-Chen
TC
Department of Environmental Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo-Kuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
Young
Chiu-Chung
CC
Ho
Mann-Jing
MJ
Yeh
Mao-Song
MS
Chou
Chien-Liang
CL
Wei
Yu-Hong
YH
Chang
Jo-Shu
JS
D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005742:Gasoline / Q000382:microbiology*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009038:Motion
D005742:Gasoline