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Oil-bioremediation potential of two hydrocarbonoclastic, diazotrophic Marinobacter strains from hypersaline areas along the Arabian Gulf coasts

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Abstract

Two halophilic, hydrocarbonoclastics bacteria, Marinobacter sedimentarum and M. flavimaris, with diazotrophic potential occured in hypersaline waters and soils in southern and northern coasts of Kuwait. Their numbers were in the magnitude of 103 colony forming units g−1. The ambient salinity in the hypersaline environments was between 3.2 and 3.5 M NaCl. The partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of the two strains showed, respectively, 99 and 100 % similarities to the sequences in the GenBank. The two strains failed to grow in the absence of NaCl, exhibited best growth and hydrocarbon biodegradation in the presence of 1 to 1.5 M NaCl, and still grew and maintained their hydrocarbonoclastic activity at salinities up to 5 M NaCl. Both species utilized Tween 80, a wide range of individual aliphatic hydrocarbons (C9–C40) and the aromatics benzene, biphenyl, phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene as sole sources of carbon and energy. Experimental evidence was provided for their nitrogen-fixation potential. The two halophilic Marinobacter strains successfully mineralized crude oil in nutrient media as well as in hypersaline soil and water microcosms without the use of any nitrogen fertilizers.

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the University of Kuwait, Research Grant RS 01/12. Thanks are due to the SAF unit and GRF, Kuwait University for providing GLC (GS 02/01) and Genetic analyzer (GS 01/02) facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969, 13060, Safat, Kuwait

    D. M. Al-Mailem, M. Eliyas & S. S. Radwan

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  1. D. M. Al-Mailem
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  2. M. Eliyas
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  3. S. S. Radwan
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Correspondence to S. S. Radwan.

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Communicated by L. Huang.

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Al-Mailem, D.M., Eliyas, M. & Radwan, S.S. Oil-bioremediation potential of two hydrocarbonoclastic, diazotrophic Marinobacter strains from hypersaline areas along the Arabian Gulf coasts. Extremophiles 17, 463–470 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-013-0530-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-013-0530-z

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