Plasmid Backbone Impacts Conjugation Rate, Transconjugant Fitness, and Community Assembly of Genetically Bioaugmented Soil Microbes for PAH Bioremediation.

ABSTRACT: Many polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment resulting from crude oil spills and the incomplete combustion of organic matter are highly toxic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic to microorganisms and humans. Bioremediation of PAHs using microorganisms that encode biodegradative genes is a promising approach for environmental PAH cleanup. However, the viability of exogenous microorganisms is often limited due to competition with the native microbial community. Instead of relying on the survival of one or a few species of bacteria, genetic bioaugmentation harnesses conjugative plasmids that spread functional genes to native microbes. In this study, two plasmid backbones that differ in copy number regulation, replication, and mobilization genes were engineered to contain a PAH diox

SUBMITTER: Crosby TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11926752 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature