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The endophytic bacterium Serratia sp. PW7 degrades pyrene in wheat

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Abstract

This research was conducted to isolate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading (PAH-degrading) endophytic bacteria and investigate their potential in protecting plants against PAH contamination. Pyrene-degrading endophytic bacteria were isolated from plants grown in PAH-contaminated soil. Among these endophytic bacteria, strain PW7 (Serratia sp.) isolated from Plantago asiatica was selected to investigate the suppression of pyrene accumulation in Triticum aestivum L. In the in vitro tests, strain PW7 degraded 51.2% of the pyrene in the media within 14 days. The optimal biodegradation conditions were pH 7.0, 30 °C, and MS medium supplemented with additional glucose, maltose, sucrose, and peptones. In the in vivo tests, strain PW7 successfully colonized the roots and shoots of inoculated (E+) wheat plants, and its colonization decreased pyrene accumulation and pyrene transportation from roots to shoots. Remarkably, the concentration of pyrene in shoots decreased much more than that in roots, suggesting that strain PW7 has the potential for protecting wheat against pyrene contamination and mitigating the threat of pyrene to human health via food consumption.

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Abbreviations

EPA:

US environmental protection agency

HMW:

High-molecular weight

PAHs:

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

LB medium:

Luria-Bertani medium

MS medium:

Mineral salt medium

POPs:

Persistent organic pollutants

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31270574), the China Scholarship Council (CSC NO. 201306855022), and the Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20130030).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Organic Contaminant Control and Soil Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Xuezhu Zhu, Wanqing Wang, Kai Sun, Shupeng Hao, Michael Gatheru Waigi & Yanzheng Gao

  2. The Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA

    David E. Crowley

Authors
  1. Xuezhu Zhu
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  2. Wanqing Wang
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  3. David E. Crowley
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  4. Kai Sun
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  5. Shupeng Hao
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  6. Michael Gatheru Waigi
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  7. Yanzheng Gao
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Correspondence to Yanzheng Gao.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Zhu, X., Wang, W., Crowley, D.E. et al. The endophytic bacterium Serratia sp. PW7 degrades pyrene in wheat. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 6648–6656 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8345-y

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