Abstract

The marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis is well known for its ability to successfully degrade various mixtures of n-alkanes occurring in marine oil spills. For effective growth on these compounds, the bacteria possess the unique capability not only to incorporate but also to modify fatty intermediates derived from the alkane degradation pathway. High efficiency of both these processes provides better competitiveness for a single bacteria species among hydrocarbon degraders. To examine the efficiency of A. borkumensis to cope with different sources of fatty acid intermediates, we studied the growth rates and membrane fatty acid patterns of this bacterium cultivated on diesel, biodiesel and rapeseed oil as carbon and energy source. Obtained results revealed significant differences in both parameters depending on growth substrate. Highest growth rates were observed with biodiesel, while growth rates on rapeseed oil and diesel were lower than on the standard reference compound (hexadecane). The most remarkable observation is that cells grown on rapeseed oil, biodiesel, and diesel showed significant amounts of the two polyunsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid and linolenic acid in their membrane. By direct incorporation of these external fatty acids, the bacteria save energy allowing them to degrade those pollutants in a more efficient way. Such fast adaptation may increase resilience of A. borkumensis and allow them to strive and maintain populations in more complex hydrocarbon degrading microbial communities.

Highlights

  • Marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria constitute a very specialized group of oil-degrading γ-proteobacteria that was intensely studied during the last decade as one of the key players for biodegradation of marine crude oil contaminations [1,2,3]

  • Due to the ability of marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria to utilize a broad variety of aliphatic the ability of marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria to utilize a broad variety of aliphatic hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons, they are responsible for microbial blooming during oil spills and can represent up to they are responsible for microbial blooming during oil spills and can represent up to 80–90% of

  • We examined growth dynamics, membrane composition and cell surface hydrophobicity of A. borkumensis SK2 cultivated on diesel, biodiesel or rapeseed oil as sole carbon hydrophobicity of A. borkumensis SK2 cultivated on diesel, biodiesel or rapeseed oil as sole carbon and energy source, in comparison with pyruvate and hexadecane as standard substrates

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Summary

Introduction

Marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria constitute a very specialized group of oil-degrading γ-proteobacteria that was intensely studied during the last decade as one of the key players for biodegradation of marine crude oil contaminations [1,2,3] These bacteria are only able to metabolize a few organic acids (acetate, pyruvate), and feed exclusively on a variety of aliphatic hydrocarbons [1]. Cells of this very important group of marine bacteria, which has Oleispira and Alcanivorax as the best investigated genera, have been discovered occurring in very small abundances in most of the seas all over the world [4]. Energy source, in comparison with pyruvate and hexadecane as standard substrates

Effect
Discussion
Strain and Chemicals
Culture Conditions
Analysis of Fatty Acid Composition by GC-MS
Analysis of Fatty Acid Composition by GC-FID
Characterisation of Bacterial Cell Surface Hydrophobicities
Statistical Analysis

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