title: Synthetic extreme environments: overlooked sources of potential biotechnologically relevant microorganisms.
abstract: Synthetic extreme environments like carwash effluent tanks and drains are potential sources of biotechnologically important microorganisms and molecules which have, however, remained unexplored. Using culture- and molecular-based methods, a total of 17 bacterial isolates belonging to the genera Shewanella, Proteus, Paenibacillus, Enterobacter and Citrobacter, Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Pantoea were identified. Hydrocarbon utilization and enzyme production screening assays showed that Aeromonas sp. CAC11, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13 and Citrobacter sp. PCW7 were able to degrade benzanthracene, naphthalene and diesel oil, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13 could produce cellulase enzyme, while Proteus sp. BPS2, Pseudomonas sp. SAS8 and Proteus sp. CAL3 could produce lipase. GC-MS analysis of bacterial secondary metabolites resulted in identification of 107 different compounds produced by Proteus sp. BPS2, Paenibacillus sp. CAC12, Pseudomonas sp. SAS8, Proteus sp. CAL3 and Paenibacillus sp. CAC13. Most of the compounds identified by both GC-MS and LC-MS have previously been determined to have antibacterial, antifungal and/or anticancer properties. Further, microbial metabolites which have previously been known to be produced only by plants or microorganisms found in natural extreme environments were also identified in this study. This research has revealed the immense bioresource potential of microorganisms inhabiting synthetic extreme environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, UNISA Florida Campus, PO Box X6, Florida, 1709, South Africa.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sibanda
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, UNISA Florida Campus, PO Box X6, Florida, 1709, South Africa.
authors.forename: Ramganesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selvarajan
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, UNISA Florida Campus, PO Box X6, Florida, 1709, South Africa.
authors.forename: Memory
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tekere
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D001688:Biological Products / Q000032:analysis; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D000071251:Extreme Environments; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D004798:Enzymes; D006838:Hydrocarbons