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. 1994 June; 60(6): 2101-2106

Effect of a Pseudomonas rhamnolipid biosurfactant on cell hydrophobicity and biodegradation of octadecane.

Y Zhang and R M Miller

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

ABSTRACT

In this study, the effect of a purified rhamnolipid biosurfactant on the hydrophobicity of octadecane-degrading cells was investigated to determine whether differences in rates of octadecane biodegradation resulting from the addition of rhamnolipid to four strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa could be related to measured differences in hydrophobicity. Cell hydrophobicity was determined by a modified bacterial adherence to hydrocarbon (BATH) assay. Bacterial adherence to hydrocarbon quantitates the preference of cell surfaces for the aqueous phase or the aqueous-hexadecane interface in a two-phase system of water and hexadecane. On the basis of octadecane biodegradation in the absence of rhamnolipid, the four bacterial strains were divided into two groups: the fast degraders (ATCC 15442 and ATCC 27853), which had high cell hydrophobicities (74 and 55% adherence to hexadecane, respectively), and the slow degraders (ATCC 9027 and NRRL 3198), which had low cell hydrophobicities (27 and 40%, respectively). Although in all cases rhamnolipid increased the aqueous dispersion of octadecane at least 10(4)-fold, at low rhamnolipid concentrations (0.6 mM), biodegradation by all four strains was initially inhibited for at least 100 h relative to controls. At high rhamnolipid concentrations (6 mM), biodegradation by the fast degraders was slightly inhibited relative to controls, but the biodegradation by the slow degraders was enhanced relative to controls. Measurement of cell hydrophobicity showed that rhamnolipids increased the cell hydrophobicity of the slow degraders but had no effect on the cell hydrophobicity of the fast degraders. The rate at which the cells became hydrophobic was found to depend on the rhamnolipid concentration and was directly related to the rate of octadecane biodegradation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

---

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 June; 60(6): 2101-2106

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Wilhelm, S., Gdynia, A., Tielen, P., Rosenau, F., Jaeger, K.-E. (2007). The Autotransporter Esterase EstA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Is Required for Rhamnolipid Production, Cell Motility, and Biofilm Formation. J. Bacteriol. 189: 6695-6703 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pamp, S. J., Tolker-Nielsen, T. (2007). Multiple Roles of Biosurfactants in Structural Biofilm Development by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J. Bacteriol. 189: 2531-2539 [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]  
• Van Hamme, J. D., Singh, A., Ward, O. P. (2003). Recent Advances in Petroleum Microbiology. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 67: 503-549 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bodour, A. A., Drees, K. P., Maier, R. M. (2003). Distribution of Biosurfactant-Producing Bacteria in Undisturbed and Contaminated Arid Southwestern Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 3280-3287 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Neilson, J. W., Artiola, J. F., Maier, R. M. (2003). Characterization of Lead Removal from Contaminated Soils by Nontoxic Soil-Washing Agents. J. Environ. Qual. 32: 899-908 [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]  
• Bouchez-Naitali, M., Blanchet, D., Bardin, V., Vandecasteele, J.-P. (2001). Evidence for interfacial uptake in hexadecane degradation by Rhodococcus equi: the importance of cell flocculation. Microbiology 147: 2537-2543 [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]