title: Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by Neosartorya sp. BL4.
abstract: A new petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading fungus, isolated from an oil contaminant soil, was identified as Neosartorya (teleomorph of Aspergillus) sp. This isolate was able to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) without a lag phase, but degradation rates decreased with increasing initial TPH concentrations (5,000-20,000 mg L(-1)). The TPH degradation by the isolate showed a substrate inhibition behavior with an inhibition constant (K(i)) of 1,860 mg L(-1). Dual lag phase of TPH degradation indicated the ability to adapt its metabolic activity to utilize different types of hydrocarbons as an electron donor. Initially n-alkanes were rapidly removed without lag phase in the whole range of substrate and heavy molecular weight alkanes (HMWAs; C23-C24) and low molecular weight alkanes (LMWAs C9-C15) out of n-alkane hydrocarbons were degraded rapidly, whereas the removal of mid molecular weight alkanes (MMWAs; C16-C22) was relatively slower. Relatively slow degradation of MMWAs is probably caused by biotransformation of HMWAs or non-alkane hydrocarbons to MMWAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Taewoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Eun-Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyerim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kyung-Suk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D055326:Neosartorya / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010578:Petroleum; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D010578:Petroleum; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical