In vitro degradation of low-density polyethylene by new bacteria from larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella

Three bacterial species isolated from whole body extracts of the greater wax moth larvae, Galleria mellonella, were evaluated for their ability to utilize low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as a sole carbon source in vitro. These bacteria were identified as Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Bacillus aryabhattai, and Microbacterium oxydans. Their ability to biodegrade LDPE was assessed by growth curves, cell biomass production, polyethylene (PE) weight loss, and the presence of LDPE hydrolysis products in the growth media. Consortia of these bacteria with three other bacteria previously shown to degrade LDPE (Cupriavidus necator H16, Pseudomonas putida LS46, and Pseudomonas putida IRN22) were also tested. Growth curves of the bacteria utilizing LDPE as a sole carbon source revealed a peak in cell density after 24 h. Cell densities declined by 48 h but slowly increased again to different extents, depending on the bacteria. Incubation of LDPE with bacteria isolated from greater wax moth larvae had significant effects on bacterial cell mass production and weight loss of LDPE in PE-containing media. The bacterial consortia were better able to degrade LDPE than were the individual species alone. Gas chromatographic analyses revealed the presence of linear alkanes and other unknown putative LDPE hydrolysis products in some of bacterial culture media.

Isolation and characterization of a bacterium able to degrade high concentrations of iprodione

A bacterial strain CQH-1 capable of mineralizing iprodione was isolated and characterized. On the basis of its morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics combined with phylogenetic analysis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain CQH-1 was identified as a Microbacterium sp. CQH-1. It was able to use iprodione and 3,5-dichloroaniline as the sole source of carbon and energy for its growth. It completely degraded 100 mg·L^-1 iprodione within 96 h at 30 °C. During the degradation of iprodione by strain CQH-1, 2 compounds were detected in GC-MS analysis and were recognized as N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2,4-dioxoimidazolidine and 3,5-dichloroaniline. So, the biodegradation pathway of iprodione by strain CQH-1 was proposed. This is the first report of an iprodione-mineralizing strain from the genus Microbacterium, and strain CQH-1 might be a promising candidate for application in the bioremediation of iprodione-contaminated environments.

Novel bacteria associated with Arctic seashore lichens have potential roles in nutrient scavenging

While generally described as a bipartite mutualistic association between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria, lichens also host diverse and heretofore little explored communities of nonphototrophic endolichenic bacteria. The composition and possible roles of these bacterial communities in the lichen symbiotic association constitute an emerging field of research. Saxicolous (rock-dwelling) seashore lichens present an unusual environment, characterized by rapid fluctuations in temperature, salinity, exposure to solar radiation, etc. The present study focuses on the bacterial biota associated with 4 species of crustose, halophilic, saxicolous seashore lichens found in northern Iceland. A denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis based characterization of the composition of the lichen-associated microbiotas indicated that they are markedly lichen-species-specific and clearly distinguishable from the environmental microbiota represented by control sampling. A collection of bacterial strains was investigated and partially identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. The strains were found to belong to 7 classes: Alphaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Actinobacteria, Flavobacteria, Cytophagia, Sphingobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. Several isolates display only a modest level of similarity to their nearest relatives found in GenBank, suggesting that they comprise previously undescribed taxa. Selected strains were tested for inorganic phosphate solubilization and biodegradation of several biopolymers, such as barley β-glucan, xylan, chitosan, and lignin. The results support a nutrient-scavenging role of the associate microbiota in the seashore lichen symbiotic association.

Biodegradation of type II pyrethroids and major degraded products by a newly isolated Acinetobacter sp. strain JN8

A Gram-negative aerobic bacterium, designated as JN8, was isolated from activated sludge and soil in a pesticides factory in China. It was found that JN8 had a high capacity for degrading a broad range of type II pyrethroids and utilizing these pyrethroids as the sole carbon source for cell growth. The degradation rates of a 100 mg·L(-1) concentration of β-cypermethrin, cypermethrin, fenpropathrin, fenvalerate, and deltamethrin by JN8 in mineral salt medium were 74.1%, 64.9%, 57.9%, 48.1% and 34.9%, respectively. Strain JN8 was identified as a species of Acinetobacter based on its biochemical properties and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. β-Cypermethrin was degraded by JN8 through hydrolysis of the carboxylester linkage to form 3-phenoxybenzoic acid and 3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid, both of which could be further degraded by JN8. JN8 is the first strain of an Acinetobacter species in which pyrethoid-degrading activity has been detected, and such a feature makes it a potential resource for disposal of waste and effluent from pyrethroid manufacturing facilities.