Exploratory Environmental Science Research
Volume 2 – Issue 1 – 2021
Original Research Article
Alkane Biodegradation Under Saline Conditions
Toru Matsui1*, Miho Asano1, Leila El-Bassi2
1School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Technology, Tokyo, (JAPAN)
2Center of Water Research and Technologies, Laboratory of Wastewater and Environment, Tunis, (TUNISIA)
PAGE NO: 127-132
ABSTRACT – DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47204/EESR.2.1.2021.127-132
Halophiles have a great potential in value-added compounds production such as ectoine, and use for bioremediation in hypersaline environments. As well as the halophiles, halo-tolerant microbes could be used for the similar application. In addition, screening and maintenance of such microbes could contribute in constructing a namely, ‘Bioresource Library’ for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Here, we present the characterization of halophilic-, and halotolerant bacteria, isolated from Okinawa and Hachioji, Japan, and Tunisia.
Using enrichment culture and direct isolation from environmental samples in Tunisia and Okinawa, Japan, totally 100 strains were obtained as moderately halophilic bacteria. For the practical application in marine petroleum remediation, enrichment culture with a mid-chain alkane as the sole carbon source under saline condition were further conducted using soils from Tunisia and Japan (Hachioji, Tokyo). All the isolates exhibited a similar growth rate below 15 % of NaCl suggesting they are halo-tolerant bacteria. Among them, Sinomicrobium sp. belonging to CFB group was included as halo-tolerant alkane degrading bacteria from Tunisian soil, suggesting an unique gene resources for alkane degradation. For the genes related for alkane degradation, both of alk B and P450 (CYP153A) genes were detected from the isolates.