This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Barkay, T.
Right arrow Articles by Rosenberg, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Barkay, T.
Right arrow Articles by Rosenberg, E.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Barkay, T.
Right arrow Articles by Rosenberg, E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 1999, p. 2697-2702, Vol. 65, No. 6
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of Solubilization and Biodegradation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons by the Bioemulsifier Alasan

T. Barkay,* S. Navon-Venezia, E. Z. Ron, and E. Rosenberg

Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel

Received 5 October 1998/Accepted 8 April 1999

Alasan, a high-molecular-weight bioemulsifier complex of an anionic polysaccharide and proteins that is produced by Acinetobacter radioresistens KA53 (S. Navon-Venezia, Z. Zosim, A. Gottlieb, R. Legmann, S. Carmeli, E. Z. Ron, and E. Rosenberg, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:3240-3244, 1995), enhanced the aqueous solubility and biodegradation rates of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In the presence of 500 µg of alasan ml-1, the apparent aqueous solubilities of phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene were increased 6.6-, 25.7-, and 19.8-fold, respectively. Physicochemical characterization of the solubilization activity suggested that alasan solubilizes PAHs by a physical interaction, most likely of a hydrophobic nature, and that this interaction is slowly reversible. Moreover, the increase in apparent aqueous solubility of PAHs does not depend on the conformation of alasan and is not affected by the formation of multimolecular aggregates of alasan above its saturation concentration. The presence of alasan more than doubled the rate of [14C]fluoranthene mineralization and significantly increased the rate of [14C]phenanthrene mineralization by Sphingomonas paucimobilis EPA505. The results suggest that alasan-enhanced solubility of hydrophobic compounds has potential applications in bioremediation.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, The University of West Florida, 11000 University Pkwy., Pensacola, FL 32514. Phone: (850) 474-2880. Fax: (850) 474-3130. E-mail: tbarkay{at}uwf.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 1999, p. 2697-2702, Vol. 65, No. 6
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Gutierrez, T., Shimmield, T., Haidon, C., Black, K., Green, D. H. (2008). Emulsifying and Metal Ion Binding Activity of a Glycoprotein Exopolymer Produced by Pseudoalteromonas sp. Strain TG12. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 4867-4876 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Xu, R., Obbard, J. P. (2004). Biodegradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Oil-Contaminated Beach Sediments Treated with Nutrient Amendments. J. Environ. Qual. 33: 861-867 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Miyata, N., Iwahori, K., Foght, J. M., Gray, M. R. (2004). Saturable, Energy-Dependent Uptake of Phenanthrene in Aqueous Phase by Mycobacterium sp. Strain RJGII-135. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 363-369 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hendrickx, L., Hausner, M., Wuertz, S. (2003). Natural Genetic Transformation in Monoculture Acinetobacter sp. Strain BD413 Biofilms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 1721-1727 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Abed, R. M. M., Safi, N. M. D., Koster, J., de Beer, D., El-Nahhal, Y., Rullkotter, J., Garcia-Pichel, F. (2002). Microbial Diversity of a Heavily Polluted Microbial Mat and Its Community Changes following Degradation of Petroleum Compounds. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 1674-1683 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Toren, A., Orr, E., Paitan, Y., Ron, E. Z., Rosenberg, E. (2002). The Active Component of the Bioemulsifier Alasan from Acinetobacter radioresistens KA53 Is an OmpA-Like Protein. J. Bacteriol. 184: 165-170 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Iwabuchi, N., Sunairi, M., Anzai, H., Nakajima, M., Harayama, S. (2000). Relationships between Colony Morphotypes and Oil Tolerance in Rhodococcus rhodochrous. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 5073-5077 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kanaly, R. A., Harayama, S. (2000). Biodegradation of High-Molecular-Weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 182: 2059-2067 [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»