Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) producing and oil degrading bacteria isolated from the northern Gulf of Mexico.

ABSTRACT: Sinking marine oil snow was found to be a major mechanism in the transport of spilled oil from the surface to the deep sea following the Deepwater Horizon (DwH) oil spill. Marine snow formation is primarily facilitated by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which are mainly composed of proteins and carbohydrates secreted by microorganisms. While numerous bacteria have been identified to degrade oil, there is a paucity of knowledge on bacteria that produce EPS in response to oil and Corexit exposure in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM). In this study, we isolated bacteria from surface water of the nGoM that grow on oil or Corexit dispersant. Among the 100 strains isolated, nine were identified to produce remarkable amounts of EPS. 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that six isolates (st

SUBMITTER: Bacosa HP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6283562 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature