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Biodegradation of phenol by cold-adapted bacteria from Antarctic soils

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Abstract

Phenol is an important pollutant widely discharged as a component of hydrocarbon fuels, but its degradation in cold regions is a great challenge due to the harsh environmental conditions. To date, there is little information available concerning the biodegradation of phenol by indigenous Antarctic bacteria. This study addresses the isolation of three phenol-degrading bacterial strains from King George Island, Antarctica. Based on preliminary screening, three isolates (AQ5-05, AQ5-06 and AQ5-07) capable of completely degrading 0.5 g/L phenol within 120 h at 10 °C were selected for detailed study. Two were identified as Arthrobacter spp., and one Rhodococcus sp., based on 16S rRNA sequences. All strains were non-motile, Gram positive, oxidase negative and catalase positive. A study on the effects of parameters including temperature, pH, salinity and nitrogen source was conducted to optimise the conditions for phenol degradation. This revealed that the three isolates were psychrotolerant with the optimum temperature for phenol degradation between 10 and 15 °C. This study suggests the potential use of cold-adapted bacteria in the bioremediation of phenol over a wide range of low temperatures.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Matching Grant (UPM-YPASM 9300430), YPASM Berth Support, PUTRA-IPM (9476900), PUTRA-IPS (9508500), IIOES-2014G “Latitudinal Differences in Response and Adaptation of Microbes to Atmospheric Changes”, research grant Higher Institute of Centre of Excellence, Ministry of Higher Education. The authors would like to thank Professor Hiroyuki Futamata and Yui Arashi from Shizuoka University for the contribution of SEM images. In addition, we would like to thank Motharasan Manogaran for the help in data analysis. We also thank Malaysia Ministry of High Education for providing a My PhD scholarship to Gillian Li Yin Lee. Peter Convey is supported by NERC core funding to the British Antarctic Survey’s ‘Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation’ Team, and by a Visiting Icon Professorship to the University of Malaya. This paper also contributes to the international SCAR research programme ‘State of the Antarctic Ecosystem’.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Gillian Li Yin Lee, Siti Aqlima Ahmad, Nur Adeela Yasid & Mohd Yunus Shukor

  2. National Antarctic Research Centre, B303 Level 3, Block B, IPS Building, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Siti Aqlima Ahmad, Nur Adeela Yasid, Peter Convey & Siti Aisyah Alias

  3. Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Azham Zulkharnain

  4. British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK

    Peter Convey

  5. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Wan Lutfi Wan Johari

  6. Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, B303 Level 3, Block B, Lembah Pantai, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Siti Aisyah Alias

  7. Laboratorio de Investigacion en Agentes Antibacterianos, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile

    Gerardo Gonzalez-Rocha

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  1. Gillian Li Yin Lee
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Lee, G.L.Y., Ahmad, S., Yasid, N.A. et al. Biodegradation of phenol by cold-adapted bacteria from Antarctic soils. Polar Biol 41, 553–562 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2216-y

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