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Intracellular Metabolic Changes of Rhodococcus sp. LH During the Biodegradation of Diesel Oil

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Abstract

In recent years, some marine microbes have been used to degrade diesel oil. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the biodegradation are still poorly understood. In this study, a hypothermophilous marine strain, which can degrade diesel oil in cold seawater was isolated from Antarctic floe-ice and identified and named as Rhodococcus sp. LH. To clarify the biodegradation mechanisms, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomics strategy was performed to determine the diesel biodegradation process-associated intracellular biochemical changes in Rhodococcus sp. LH cells. With the aid of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), 17 differential metabolites with variable importance in the projection (VIP) value greater than 1 were identified. Results indicated that the biodegradation of diesel oil by Rhodococcus sp. LH was affected by many different factors. Rhodococcus sp. LH could degrade diesel oil through terminal or sub-terminal oxidation reactions, and might also possess the ability to degrade aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition, some surfactants, especially fatty acids, which were secreted by Rhodococcus into medium could also assist the strain in dispersing and absorbing diesel oil. Lack of nitrogen in the seawater would lead to nitrogen starvation, thereby restraining the amino acid circulation in Rhodococcus sp. LH. Moreover, nitrogen starvation could also promote the conversation of relative excess carbon source to storage materials, such as 1-monolinoleoylglycerol. These results would provide a comprehensive understanding about the complex mechanisms of diesel oil biodegradation by Rhodococcus sp. LH at the systematic level.

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Abbreviations

GC-MS:

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

HCA:

Hierarchical cluster analysis

MSTFA:

N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide

PCA:

Principal components analysis

PLS-DA:

Partial least squares-discriminant analysis

RT-M/Z:

Retention time-mass to charge ratio

SEM:

Standard error of the mean

TIC:

Total ion chromatogram

VIP:

Variable importance in the projection

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Funding

This work was funded by the Basic Scientific Fund for National Public Research Institutes of China (No. 2016Q10) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41776203).

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Author notes

  1. Ze Chen and Zhou Zheng contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Ze Chen, Feng-Lian Wang, Yuan-Pu Niu & Hao Li

  2. The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Zhou Zheng & Jin-Lai Miao

  3. Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266235, China

    Zhou Zheng & Jin-Lai Miao

Authors
  1. Ze Chen
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  2. Zhou Zheng
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  3. Feng-Lian Wang
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  4. Yuan-Pu Niu
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  5. Jin-Lai Miao
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  6. Hao Li
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Correspondence to Jin-Lai Miao or Hao Li.

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Chen, Z., Zheng, Z., Wang, FL. et al. Intracellular Metabolic Changes of Rhodococcus sp. LH During the Biodegradation of Diesel Oil. Mar Biotechnol 20, 803–812 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-018-9850-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-018-9850-4

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