• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.862-870
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• 2010

Cyperus rotundus L. is a perennial herb that was found to be dominating an area in northeast Brazil previously contaminated with petroleum. In order to increase our knowledge of microorganism-plant interactions in phytoremediation, the bacterial community present in the rhizosphere and roots of C. rotundus was evaluated by culture-dependent and molecular approaches. PCR-DGGE analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that the bacterial community in bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root samples had a high degree of similarity. A complex population of alkane-utilizing bacteria and a variable nitrogen-fixing population were observed via PCR-DGGE analysis of alkB and nifH genes, respectively. In addition, two clone libraries were generated from alkB fragments obtained by PCR of bulk and rhizosphere soil DNA samples. Statistical analyses of these libraries showed that the compositions of their respective populations were different in terms of alkB gene sequences. Using culturedependent techniques, 209 bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere and rhizoplane/roots of C. rotundus. Dot-blot analysis showed that 17 strains contained both alkB and nifH gene sequences. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that these strains are affiliated with the genera Bosea, Cupriavidus, Enterobacter, Gordonia, Mycoplana, Pandoraea, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, and Rhodococcus. These isolates can be considered to have great potential for the phytoremediation of soil with C. rotundus in this tropical soil area.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.339-345
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• 2009

We evaluated the activity and abundance of the crude-oil-degrading bacterium Nocardia sp. H17-1 during bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil, using real-time PCR. The total petroleum hydrocarbon(TPH) degradation rate constants(k) of the soils treated with and without H17-1 were $0.103\;d^{-1}$ and $0.028\;d^{-1}$ respectively. The degradation rate constant was 3.6 times higher in the soil with H17-1 than in the soil without H17-1. In order to detect and quantify the Nocardia sp. H17-1 in soil samples, we quantified the genes encoding 16S ribosomal RNA(16S rRNA), alkane monooxygenase(alkB4), and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase(23CAT) with real-time PCR using SYBR green. The amounts of H17-1 16S rRNA and alkB4 detected increased rapidly up to 1,000-folds for the first 10 days, and then continued to increase only slightly or leveled off. However, the abundance of the 23CAT gene detected in H17-1-treated soil, where H17-1 had neither the 23CAT gene for the degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons nor the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase activity, did not differ significantly from that of the untreated soil($\alpha$=0.05,p>0.22). These results indicated that H17-1 is a potential candidate for the bioaugmentation of alkane-contaminated soil. Overall, we evaluated the abundance and metabolic activity of the bioremediation strain H17-1 using real-time PCR, independent of cultivation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2007

The present study compared the microbial diversity and activity during the application of various bioremediation processes to crude oil-contaminated soil. Five different treatments, including natural attenuation (NA), biostimulation (BS), biosurfactant addition (BE), bioaugmentation (BA), and a combined treatment (CT) of biostimulation, biosurfactant addition, and bioaugmentation, were used to analyze the degradation rate and microbial communities. After 120 days, the level of remaining hydrocarbons after all the treatments was similar, however, the highest rate (k) of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) degradation was observed with the CT treatment (P<0.05). The total bacterial counts increased during the first 2 weeks with all the treatments, and then remained stable. The bacterial communities and alkane monooxygenase gene fragment, alkB, were compared by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The DGGE analyses of the BA and CT treatments, which included Nocardia sp. H17-1, revealed a simple dominant population structure, compared with the other treatments. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H') and Simpson dominance index (D), calculated from the DGGE profiles using 16S rDNA, showed considerable qualitative differences in the community structure before and after the bioremediation treatment as well as between treatment conditions.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 1987

Mutants of E. coli which showed increased sensitivity to MMS(methylmethane sulfonate)were isolated by MNNG mutagenesis and characterized by enzymatic assay, survival of simple alkylating agents and host-cell reactivation. E.coli mutant, 5-62, which showed absolute deficiency in 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase II activity and had low capability of reactivating MMS-treated phage charon 35 was very sensitive to MMS and MNNG. NNS gene which confered resistance to the lethal effects of MMS was cloned in 5-62 strain. 5-62 mutants carrying recombinant plasmid, pMRG 1, which acquired resistance to the lethal effects of MMS had normal sensitivity to MNNG. Resistance to MMS was somewhat increased after they were treated with 0.5.$\mu$g MNNG/ml for 2 hours at $37^{\circ}C$. Although recombinant plasmid, pMRG 1, did not complement alk A mutation in 5-62 and ada mutation in 1-27 mutnat, mutnats transformed with this plasmid showed more capability of reactivating MMS treated phage than mutants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.104-114
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• 2021

Petroleum-contaminated soil is considered among the most important potential anthropogenic atmospheric methane sources. Additionally, various rhizoremediation factors can affect methane emissions by altering soil ecosystem carbon cycles. Nonetheless, greenhouse gas emissions from soil have not been given due importance as a potentially relevant parameter in rhizoremediation techniques. Therefore, in this study we sought to investigate the effects of different plant and soil amendments on both remediation efficiencies and methane emission characteristics in diesel-contaminated soil. An indoor pot experiment consisting of three plant treatments (control, maize, tall fescue) and two soil amendments (chemical nutrient, compost) was performed for 95 days. Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal efficiency, dehydrogenase activity, and alkB (i.e., an alkane compound-degrading enzyme) gene abundance were the highest in the tall fescue and maize soil system amended with compost. Compost addition enhanced both the overall remediation efficiencies, as well as pmoA (i.e., a methane-oxidizing enzyme) gene abundance in soils. Moreover, the potential methane emission of diesel-contaminated soil was relatively low when maize was introduced to the soil system. After microbial community analysis, various TPH-degrading microorganisms (Nocardioides, Marinobacter, Immitisolibacter, Acinetobacter, Kocuria, Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, Alcanivorax) and methane-oxidizing microorganisms (Methylocapsa, Methylosarcina) were observed in the rhizosphere soil. The effects of major rhizoremediation factors on soil remediation efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions discussed herein are expected to contribute to the development of sustainable biological remediation technologies in response to global climate change.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.152-157
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• 2003

Diesel-contaminated soils were ozonated for different times (0 - 900 min) and incubated for 9 wk to monitor petroleum hydrocarbons (PH)-degradative potential of indigenous microorganisms in the soils. Increased ozonation time decreased not only concentration of PH but also number of microorganisms in the soils. Microorganisms in the ozonated soils increased during 9-wk incubation as monitored by culture- and nonculture-based methods. Higher (1-2 orders of magnitude) cell number was observed by quantitative analysis of soil DNA using probes detecting genes encoding 165 rRNA(rrn), naphthalene dioxygenase (nahA), toluene dioxygenase (todC), and alkane hydroxylase (alkB) than microbial abundance estimated by culture-based methods. Such PH-degraders were relatively a few or under detection limit in 900-min ozonated soil. Further PH-removal observed during the incubation period supported the presence of PH-degraders in ozonated soils. Highest reduction (25.4%) of total PH (TPH) was observed in 180-min ozonated soil white negligible reduction was shown in 900-min ozonated soil during the period, resulting in lowest TPH-concentration in 180-min ozonated soil among the ozonated soils. Microbial community composition in 9-wk incubated soils revealed slight difference between 900-min ozonated and unozonated soils as analyzed by whole cell hybridization using group-specific rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides. Results of this study suggest that appropriate ozonation and subsequent biodegradation by indigenous microorganisms may be a cost-effective and successful remediation strategy for PH-contaminated soils.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1966-1974
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• 2008

A typical tropical soil from the northeast of Brazil, where an important terrestrial oil field is located, was accidentally contaminated with a mixture of oil and saline production water. To study the bioremediation potential in this area, molecular methods based on PCR-DGGE were used to determine the diversity of the bacterial communities in bulk and in contaminated soils. Bacterial fingerprints revealed that the bacterial communities were affected by the presence of the mixture of oil and production water, and different profiles were observed when the contaminated soils were compared with the control. Halotolerant strains capable of degrading crude oil were also isolated from enrichment cultures obtained from the contaminated soil samples. Twenty-two strains showing these features were characterized genetically by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) and phenotypically by their colonial morphology and tolerance to high NaCl concentrations. Fifteen ARDRA groups were formed. Selected strains were analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and Actinobacteria was identified as the main group found. Strains were also tested for their growth capability in the presence of different oil derivatives (hexane, dodecane, hexadecane, diesel, gasoline, toluene, naphthalene, o-xylene, and p-xylene) and different degradation profiles were observed. PCR products were obtained from 12 of the 15 ARDRA representatives when they were screened for the presence of the alkane hydroxylase gene (alkB). Members of the genera Rhodococcus and Gordonia were identified as predominant in the soil studied. These genera are usually implicated in oil degradation processes and, as such, the potential for bioremediation in this area can be considered as feasible.