Novel aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase genes from coastal marine sediments of Patagonia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), widespread pollutants in the marine environment, can produce adverse effects in marine organisms and can be transferred to humans through seafood. Our knowledge of PAH-degrading bacterial populations in the marine environment is still very limited, and mainly originates from studies of cultured bacteria. In this work, genes coding catabolic enzymes from PAH-biodegradation pathways were characterized in coastal sediments of Patagonia with different levels of PAH contamination.

Results

Genes encoding for the catalytic alpha subunit of aromatic ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases (ARHDs) were amplified from intertidal sediment samples using two different primer sets. Products were cloned and screened by restriction fragment length

SUBMITTER: Lozada M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2364624 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature