title: Isolation and characterisation of a Sphingomonas strain able to degrade the fungicide ortho-phenylphenol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ortho-phenylphenol (OPP) is a fungicide used in fruit packaging plants for the control of fungal infestations during storage. Its application leads to the production of large wastewater volumes which according to the European legislation should be treated on site. In spite of this, no efficient treatment systems are currently available, and the development of biological systems based on tailored-made pesticide-degrading inocula for the treatment of these wastewaters is an appealing solution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enrichment cultures from a soil collected from a wastewater disposal site resulted in the isolation of a pure Sphingomonas haloaromaticamans strain P3 able to degrade rapidly OPP and use it as an energy source. Its degrading capacity was dependent on the external supply of amino acids or on the presence of other bacteria that did not contribute to fungicide degradation. The isolated S. haloaromaticamans strain was able to metabolise up to 150 mg L(-1) of OPP within 7 days, in a wide range of pH (4.5-9) and temperatures (4-37 °C), and in the presence of other pesticides (thiabendazole and diphenylamine) co-used in the fruit packaging industry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the OPP-degrading bacterium isolated showed high potential for use in future biodepuration treatment systems and bioremediation strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perruchon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patsioura
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, Australia.
authors.forename: Sotirios
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vasileiadis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Karpouzas
mesh_terms: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020578:Sphingomonas / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; C004369:2-phenylphenol
keywords: Sphingomonas haloaromaticamans; fruit packaging industry; ortho-phenylphenol; pesticide biodegradation; wastewaters