| Title: | "Dominance of Gas-Eating, Biofilm-Forming Methylobacterium Species in the Evaporator Cores of Automobile Air-Conditioning Systems" |
| Author(s): | Park C; Jung HS; Park S; Jeon CO; Park W; |
| Address: | "Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Research Development Division, Hyundai Motor Group, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea. Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea cojeon@cau.ac.kr wpark@korea.ac.kr. Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea cojeon@cau.ac.kr wpark@korea.ac.kr" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2379-5042 (Electronic) 2379-5042 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Microbial communities in the evaporator core (EC) of automobile air-conditioning systems have a large impact on indoor air quality, such as malodor and allergenicity. DNA-based microbial population analysis of the ECs collected from South Korea, China, the United States, India, and the United Arab Emirates revealed the extraordinary dominance of Methylobacterium species in EC biofilms. Mixed-volatile organic compound (VOC) utilization and biofilm-forming capabilities were evaluated to explain the dominance of Methylobacterium species in the ECs. The superior growth of all Methylobacterium species could be possible under mixed-VOC conditions. Interestingly, two lifestyle groups of Methylobacterium species could be categorized as the aggregator group, which sticks together but forms a small amount of biofilm, and the biofilm-forming group, which forms a large amount of biofilm, and their genomes along with phenotypic assays were analyzed. Pili are some of the major contributors to the aggregator lifestyle, and succinoglycan exopolysaccharide production may be responsible for the biofilm formation. However, the coexistence of these two lifestyle Methylobacterium groups enhanced their biofilm formation compared to that with each single culture.IMPORTANCE Air-conditioning systems (ACS) are indispensable for human daily life; however, microbial community analysis in automobile ACS has yet to be comprehensively investigated. A bacterial community analysis of 24 heat exchanger fins from five countries (South Korea, China, the United States, India, and the United Arab Emirates [UAE]) revealed that Methylobacterium species are some of the dominant bacteria in automobile ACS. Furthermore, we suggested that the predominance of Methylobacterium species in automobile ACS is due to the utilization of mixed volatile organic compounds and their great ability for aggregation and biofilm formation" |
| Keywords: | *Air Conditioning *Automobiles Biofilms/*growth & development China India Methylobacterium/*physiology *Microbiota Republic of Korea United Arab Emirates United States Volatile Organic Compounds/metabolism Methylobacterium aggregation air-conditioning sys; |
| Notes: | "MedlinePark, Chulwoo Jung, Hye Su Park, Soyoon Jeon, Che Ok Park, Woojun eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2020/01/17 mSphere. 2020 Jan 15; 5(1):e00761-19. doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00761-19" |
