title: Bacteria associated with sabellids (Polychaeta: Annelida) as a novel source of surface active compounds.
abstract: A total of 69 bacteria were isolated from crude oil enrichments of the polychaetes Megalomma claparedei, Sabella spallanzanii and Branchiomma luctuosum, and screened for biosurfactant (BS) production by conventional methods. Potential BS-producers (30 isolates) were primarily selected due to the production of both interesting spots on thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates and highly stable emulsions (E₂₄ ≥ 50%). Only few strains grew on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and blood agar plates, indicating the probable production of anionic surfactants. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that selected isolates mainly belonged to the CFB group of Bacteroidetes, followed by Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. A number of BS-producers belonged to genera (i.e., Cellulophaga, Cobetia, Cohaesibacter, Idiomarina, Pseudovibrio and Thalassospira) that have been never reported as able to produce BSs, even if they have been previously detected in hydrocarbon-enriched samples. Our results suggest that filter-feeding Polychaetes could represent a novel and yet unexplored source of biosurfactant-producing bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences-DISBA, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d'Alcontrès 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Michaud
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hörmann
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerçe
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Syldatk
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hausmann
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Domenico
authors.forename: Angelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lo Giudice
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000382:microbiology*; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001685:Biological Factors; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical