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Phylogenetic analysis of long-chain hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and evaluation of their hydrocarbon-degradation by the 2,6-DCPIP assay

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Abstract

Thirty-six bacteria that degraded long-chain hydrocarbons were isolated from natural environments using long-chain hydrocarbons (waste car engine oil, base oil or the c-alkane fraction of base oil) as the sole carbon and energy source. A phylogenetic tree of the isolates constructed using their 16S rDNA sequences revealed that the isolates were divided into six genera plus one family (Acinetobacter, Rhodococcus, Gordonia, Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Bacillus and Alcaligenaceae, respectively). Furthermore, most of the isolates (27 of 36) were classified into the genera Acinetobacter, Rhodococcus or Gordonia. The hydrocarbon-degradation similarity in each strain was confirmed by the 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol (2,6-DCPIP) assay. Isolates belonging to the genus Acinetobacter degraded long-chain normal alkanes (n-alkanes) but did not degrade short-chain n-alkanes or cyclic alkanes (c-alkanes), while isolates belonging to the genera Rhodococcus and Gordonia degraded both long-chain n-alkanes and c-alkanes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Nojihigashi 1-1-1, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan

    Kenzo Kubota, Daisuke Koma, Yoshiki Matsumiya & Motoki Kubo

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Chonnam National University, Kwangju, 500757, Korea

    Seon-Yong Chung

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  1. Kenzo Kubota
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  2. Daisuke Koma
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  3. Yoshiki Matsumiya
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  4. Seon-Yong Chung
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  5. Motoki Kubo
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Correspondence to Motoki Kubo.

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Kubota, K., Koma, D., Matsumiya, Y. et al. Phylogenetic analysis of long-chain hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and evaluation of their hydrocarbon-degradation by the 2,6-DCPIP assay. Biodegradation 19, 749–757 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-008-9179-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-008-9179-1

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