title: Biodegradation of 17β-estradiol by bacteria isolated from deep sea sediments in aerobic and anaerobic media.
abstract: Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are considered as high research priority being a source of potential adverse ecological health effects in environmental waters. 17β-Estradiol (E2), a recalcitrant natural estrogen, is typically encountered in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) at levels ranging 10-30ngL-1in the influent flow and 1-3ngL-1in the effluent flow. The exposure to even extremely low concentrations of E2 may interfere with the normal function of the endocrine system of organisms. In this study, five bacteria isolated from enrichment cultures of sediments of mud volcanoes of the Gulf of Cadiz (Moroccan-Iberian margin) were identified as aerobic E2 biodegraders, which produce low amounts of biotransformed estrone (E1). Analysis of 16S rDNA gene sequences identified three of them as Virgibacillus halotolerans, Bacillus flexus and Bacillus licheniformis. Among the set of strains, Bacillus licheniformis showed also ability to biodegrade E2 under anaerobic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal; Department of Chemistry and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal; Department of Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, Natural and Agro-Food Products (QOPNA), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal. Electronic address: lucia.fernandez@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Louvado
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
authors.forename: Valdemar I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
authors.forename: Newton C M
authors.initials: NCM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
authors.forename: Adelaide
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ângela
authors.initials: Â
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004958:Estradiol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D004958:Estradiol
keywords: 17β-Estradiol; Biodegradation; Deep sea; Endocrine disrupting compounds; Estrone