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Characterization of new diesel-degrading bacteria isolated from freshwater sediments

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Abstract

As the result of diesel’s extensive production and use as fuel for transportation, pollution with such complex mixtures of hydrocarbons is a major concern worldwide. The present study’s focus was to investigate the presence of diesel-degrading bacteria in different Danube Delta freshwater sediments. Ten bacterial strains capable to grow in a minimal medium with diesel as the sole carbon source were isolated and characterized in this study. Based on the phenotypic and molecular characteristics, the ten strains belong to four genera and seven species, such as Pseudomonas (P. aeruginosa, P. nitroreducens, P. resinovorans, P. multiresinivorans), Acinetobacter (A. tandoii), Bacillus (B. marisflavi), and Stenotrophomonas (S. maltophilia). All these bacteria were excellent biosurfactant producers, and they were able to tolerate saturated hydrocarbons, like n-heptane, n-decane, n-pentadecane, and n-hexadecane. The ten strains possess at least one alkane hydroxylase gene in their genome, and they were also able to tolerate and degrade diesel. Higher biodegradation rates of diesel were acquired for the strains from the genera Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Stenotrophomonas, compared with that obtained for the Bacillus strain. Due to their remarkable potential to degrade diesel and produce biosurfactants, the ten isolated bacteria are attractive candidates for bioremediation of diesel-polluted environments.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Dr. Sandu Cristina and Dumitrache Cristina-Alina for providing the freshwater sediment samples. The author is grateful to Ana Dinu for her technical support.

Funding

The study was funded by project no. RO1567-IBB05/2016, RO1567-IBB05/2022 from the Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy.

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  1. Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, P.O. Box 56-53, 060031, Bucharest, Romania

    Mihaela Marilena Stancu

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  1. Mihaela Marilena Stancu
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MMS planned and executed the laboratory experiments, and wrote the manuscript. The author read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mihaela Marilena Stancu.

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Stancu, M.M. Characterization of new diesel-degrading bacteria isolated from freshwater sediments. Int Microbiol 26, 109–122 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-022-00277-2

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