Assessing the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa surface-active gene expression in hexadecane biodegradation in sand.

ABSTRACT: Low pollutant substrate bioavailability limits hydrocarbon biodegradation in soils. Bacterially produced surface-active compounds, such as rhamnolipid biosurfactant and the PA bioemulsifying protein produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can improve bioavailability and biodegradation in liquid culture, but their production and roles in soils are unknown. In this study, we asked if the genes for surface-active compounds are expressed in unsaturated porous media contaminated with hexadecane. Furthermore, if expression does occur, is biodegradation enhanced? To detect expression of genes for surface-active compounds, we fused the gfp reporter gene either to the promoter region of pra, which encodes for the emulsifying PA protein, or to the promoter of the transcriptional activator rhlR. We asses

SUBMITTER: Holden PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC127520 | biostudies-literature | 2002 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature