title: Composition and morphology characterization of exopolymeric substances produced by the PAH-degrading fungus of Mucor mucedo.
abstract: To explore the role of exopolymeric substances (EPS) in the process of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) biodegradation, the characteristics of EPS isolated from a PAH-degrading fungus were investigated firstly by spectrometric determination, microscopic observation, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (3D-EEM), and then the PAH-degrading ability of isolated EPS was evaluated. The EPS compositions and morphology varied significantly with the extraction methods. EPS were mainly composed of proteins, carbohydrate, and humic-like substances, and the cation exchange resin (CER)-extracted EPS were granular while other EPS samples were all powders. Heating was the most effective treatment method, followed by the CER, centrifugation, and ultrasonication methods. However, 3D-EEM data demonstrated that heating treatment makes the mycelia lyse the most. Overall, therefore, the CER was the best EPS extraction method for Mucor mucedo (M. mucedo). The PAH degradation results indicated that 87 % of pyrene and 81 % of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) were removed by M. mucedo over 12 days and 9 % more pyrene and 7 % more B[a]P were reduced after CER-extracted EPS addition of 465 mg l(-1). The investigation of EPS characterization and EPS enhancing PAH biodegradation is the premise for further in-depth exploration of the role of EPS contribution to PAH biodegradation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, People's Republic of China. jiachunyun@126.com.|Pollution Ecology and Environmental Management, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, People's Republic of China. jiachunyun@126.com.
authors.forename: Chunyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, People's Republic of China.|Pollution Ecology and Environmental Management, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, 3001, Victoria, Australia.|Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Remediation (EnSuRe), RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, 3001, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Allinson
authors.affiliation: Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, 11th Street, Shenyang, 110142, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Changfeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, People's Republic of China.|Pollution Ecology and Environmental Management, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zongqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002241:Carbohydrates; D002411:Cation Exchange Resins; D009089:Mucor / Q000378:metabolism*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D002411:Cation Exchange Resins; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D011506:Proteins; D011721:Pyrenes; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C030984:pyrene
keywords: Composition analysis; Exopolymeric substances (EPS); Extraction method; M. mucedo; Microscopic observation; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) degradation