This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zhang, Y Articles by Miller, R M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zhang, Y Articles by Miller, R M Agricola Articles by Zhang, Y Articles by Miller, R M

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 October; 58(10): 3276-3282

Enhanced octadecane dispersion and biodegradation by a Pseudomonas rhamnolipid surfactant (biosurfactant).

Department of Soil and Water Science, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.

ABSTRACT

A microbial surfactant (biosurfactant) was investigated for its potential to enhance bioavailability and, hence, the biodegradation of octadecane. The rhamnolipid biosurfactant used in this study was extracted from culture supernatants after growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 in phosphate-limited proteose peptone-glucose-ammonium salts medium. Dispersion of octadecane in aqueous solutions was dramatically enhanced by 300 mg of the rhamnolipid biosurfactant per liter, increasing by a factor of more than 4 orders of magnitude, from 0.009 to > 250 mg/liter. The relative enhancement of octadecane dispersion was much greater at low rhamnolipid concentrations than at high concentrations. Rhamnolipid-enhanced octadecane dispersion was found to be dependent on pH and shaking speed. Biodegradation experiments done with an initial octadecane concentration of 1,500 mg/liter showed that 20% of the octadecane was mineralized in 84 h in the presence of 300 mg of rhamnolipid per liter, compared with only 5% octadecane mineralization when no surfactant was present. These results indicate that rhamnolipids may have potential for facilitating the bioremediation of sites contaminated with hydrocarbons having limited water solubility.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Shin, K.-H., Kim, K.-W., Kim, J.-Y., Lee, K.-E., Han, S.-S. (2008). Rhamnolipid Morphology and Phenanthrene Solubility at Different pH Values. J. Environ. Qual. 37: 509-514 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jensen, V., Lons, D., Zaoui, C., Bredenbruch, F., Meissner, A., Dieterich, G., Munch, R., Haussler, S. (2006). RhlR Expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Is Modulated by the Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal via PhoB-Dependent and -Independent Pathways. J. Bacteriol. 188: 8601-8606 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• White, J. C., Parrish, Z. D., Gent, M. P. N., Iannucci-Berger, W., Eitzer, B. D., Isleyen, M., Incorvia Mattina, M. (2006). Soil Amendments, Plant Age, and Intercropping Impact p,p'-DDE Bioavailability to Cucurbita pepo. J. Environ. Qual. 35: 992-1000 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Oostrom, M., Dane, J. H., Wietsma, T. W. (2005). Removal of Carbon Tetrachloride from a Layered Porous Medium by Means of Soil Vapor Extraction Enhanced by Desiccation and Water Table Reduction. Vadose Zone J 4: 1170-1182 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Caiazza, N. C., Shanks, R. M. Q., O'Toole, G. A. (2005). Rhamnolipids Modulate Swarming Motility Patterns of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 187: 7351-7361 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gunther, N. W. IV, Nunez, A., Fett, W., Solaiman, D. K. Y. (2005). Production of Rhamnolipids by Pseudomonas chlororaphis, a Nonpathogenic Bacterium. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 2288-2293 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wong, J. W. C., Fang, M., Zhao, Z., Xing, B. (2004). Effect of Surfactants on Solubilization and Degradation of Phenanthrene under Thermophilic Conditions. J. Environ. Qual. 33: 2015-2025 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pham, T. H., Webb, J. S., Rehm, B. H. A. (2004). The role of polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in rhamnolipid and alginate production as well as stress tolerance and biofilm formation. Microbiology 150: 3405-3413 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Norman, R. S., Moeller, P., McDonald, T. J., Morris, P. J. (2004). Effect of Pyocyanin on a Crude-Oil-Degrading Microbial Community. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 4004-4011 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bodour, A. A., Guerrero-Barajas, C., Jiorle, B. V., Malcomson, M. E., Paull, A. K., Somogyi, A., Trinh, L. N., Bates, R. B., Maier, R. M. (2004). Structure and Characterization of Flavolipids, a Novel Class of Biosurfactants Produced by Flavobacterium sp. Strain MTN11. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 114-120 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Medina, G., Juarez, K., Diaz, R., Soberon-Chavez, G. (2003). Transcriptional regulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa rhlR, encoding a quorum-sensing regulatory protein. Microbiology 149: 3073-3081 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Medina, G., Juarez, K., Valderrama, B., Soberon-Chavez, G. (2003). Mechanism of Pseudomonas aeruginosa RhlR Transcriptional Regulation of the rhlAB Promoter. J. Bacteriol. 185: 5976-5983 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Davey, M. E., Caiazza, N. C., O'Toole, G. A. (2003). Rhamnolipid Surfactant Production Affects Biofilm Architecture in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. J. Bacteriol. 185: 1027-1036 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Medina, G., Juarez, K., Soberon-Chavez, G. (2003). The Pseudomonas aeruginosa rhlAB Operon Is Not Expressed during the Logarithmic Phase of Growth Even in the Presence of Its Activator RhlR and the Autoinducer N-Butyryl-Homoserine Lactone. J. Bacteriol. 185: 377-380 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Noordman, W. H., Janssen, D. B. (2002). Rhamnolipid Stimulates Uptake of Hydrophobic Compounds by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 4502-4508 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Holden, P. A., LaMontagne, M. G., Bruce, A. K., Miller, W. G., Lindow, S. E. (2002). Assessing the Role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Surface-Active Gene Expression in Hexadecane Biodegradation in Sand. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 2509-2518 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rehm, B. H. A., Mitsky, T. A., Steinbuchel, A. (2001). Role of Fatty Acid De Novo Biosynthesis in Polyhydroxyalkanoic Acid (PHA) and Rhamnolipid Synthesis by Pseudomonads: Establishment of the Transacylase (PhaG)-Mediated Pathway for PHA Biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 3102-3109 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Dean, S. M., Jin, Y., Cha, D. K., Wilson, S. V., Radosevich, M. (2001). Phenanthrene Degradation in Soils Co-Inoculated with Phenanthrene-Degrading and Biosurfactant-Producing Bacteria. J. Environ. Qual. 30: 1126-1133 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ochoa-Loza, F. J., Artiola, J. F., Maier, R. M. (2001). Stability Constants for the Complexation of Various Metals with a Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant. J. Environ. Qual. 30: 479-485 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sandrin, T. R., Chech, A. M., Maier, R. M. (2000). A Rhamnolipid Biosurfactant Reduces Cadmium Toxicity during Naphthalene Biodegradation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 4585-4588 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Al-Tahhan, R. A., Sandrin, T. R., Bodour, A. A., Maier, R. M. (2000). Rhamnolipid-Induced Removal of Lipopolysaccharide from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Effect on Cell Surface Properties and Interaction with Hydrophobic Substrates. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3262-3268 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Neilson, J. W., Pierce, S. A., Maier, R. M. (1999). Factors Influencing Expression of luxCDABE and nah Genes in Pseudomonas putida RB1353(NAH7, pUTK9) in Dynamic Systems. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 3473-3482 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Barkay, T., Navon-Venezia, S., Ron, E. Z., Rosenberg, E. (1999). Enhancement of Solubilization and Biodegradation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons by the Bioemulsifier Alasan. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 2697-2702 [Abstract] [Full Text]