CatA Gene in a Potential Corynebacterium Strain is Responsible for its Efficiency in Phenol Bioremoval

Abstract

Out of 10 bacterial strains isolated out of wastewater of a pharmaceutical industry the most efficient bacterium, which could tolerate 5,000 mgl−1 of phenol in the minimal medium, was identified to be Corynebacterium sp.DST1 through 16S rDNA analysis. This strain could remove 99.4% of phenol from the minimal medium containing 4,000 mgl−1 of phenol. The ortho catalytic pathway using the enzyme catechol 1, 2- dioxygenase was found to be the major pathway for phenol degradation in the bacterium. The gene for catechol 1, 2-dioxygenase (catA) could also be amplified using degenerate primers. Corynebacterium sp.DST1 cells were attached to sawdust and removal of phenol from industrial effluents was evaluated. About 92.7% of phenol could be removed from the effluent of a heavy electrical industry. The results of this study not only suggest the potentiality of the strain to remove phenol efficiently from crude industrial effluents but also display a cheap method of bioremediation using sawdust.