title: Separating and characterizing functional alkane degraders from crude-oil-contaminated sites via magnetic nanoparticle-mediated isolation.
abstract: Uncultivable microorganisms account for over 99% of all species on the planet, but their functions are yet not well characterized. Though many cultivable degraders for n-alkanes have been intensively investigated, the roles of functional n-alkane degraders remain hidden in the natural environment. This study introduces the novel magnetic nanoparticle-mediated isolation (MMI) technology in Nigerian soils and successfully separates functional microbes belonging to the families Oxalobacteraceae and Moraxellaceae, which are dominant and responsible for alkane metabolism in situ. The alkR-type n-alkane monooxygenase genes, instead of alkA- or alkP-type, were the key functional genes involved in the n-alkane degradation process. Further physiological investigation via a BIOLOG PM plate revealed some carbon (Tween 20, Tween 40 and Tween 80) and nitrogen (tyramine, l-glutamine and d-aspartic acid) sources promoting microbial respiration and n-alkane degradation. With further addition of promoter carbon or nitrogen sources, the separated functional alkane degraders significantly improved n-alkane biodegradation rates. This suggests that MMI is a promising technology for separating functional microbes from complex microbiota, with deeper insight into their ecological functions and influencing factors. The technique also broadens the application of the BIOLOG PM plate for physiological research on functional yet uncultivable microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Lancaster Environment Center, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors.forename: Xinzi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Lancaster Environment Center, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Lancaster Environment Center, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors.forename: Hanbing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Lancaster Environment Center, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
authors.forename: Yueqiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Lancaster Environment Center, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
authors.forename: Odafe
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ejenavi
authors.affiliation: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
authors.forename: Aizhong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
authors.forename: Yujiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Lancaster Environment Center, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK. Electronic address: d.zhang@lancaster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dayi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001711:Biotransformation; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D008280:Magnetics; D055442:Metabolome; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D044007:Moraxellaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D042802:Oxalobacteraceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D010578:Petroleum; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: BIOLOG PM plate; Biodegradation; Functional alkane degraders; Magnetic nanoparticle-mediated isolation; Uncultivable microorganisms; n-Alkane