Hexadecane degradation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NY3 promoted by glutaric acid

Abstract

For further understanding of the roles of small organic acids commonly produced during alkane degradation, glutaric acid was found to be effective for promoting hexadecane degradation by P. aeruginosa NY3. Our results demonstrated that the synchronous metabolism of glutaric acid could increase both the growth rates and hexadecane degradation ability of P. aeruginosa NY3. Glutaric acid was proved to be able to increase the ratios of the concentrations of NAD+ and NADH inside strain NY3 cells, and subsequently accelerated cell growth rates through improving electron respiration rates. All the results of the activities of hexadecane monooxygenase, the expression levels of alkB1 and alkB2 gens and the bioconversion rate of hexadecane to 1-hexadecanol were confirmed that coexistence of glutaric acid could greatly increase the reaction rate of the first step of enzymeticlly degradation of hexadecane into hexadecanol. This also explained the promotion mechanism of glutaric acid on hexadecane degradation by P. aeruginosa strain from a certain point of view for the first time.