| Title: | Black Fungi and Hydrocarbons: An Environmental Survey for Alkylbenzene Assimilation |
| Author(s): | Baron NC; Pagnocca FC; Otsuka AA; Prenafeta-Boldu FX; Vicente VA; Attili de Angelis D; |
| Address: | "Center for the Study of Social Insects, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil. GIRO Program, Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Torre Marimon, Caldes de Montbui, E08140 Barcelona, Spain. Basic Pathology Department, Federal University of Parana (UFPR), Curitiba 81531-980, PR, Brazil. Division of Microbial Resources, CPQBA, University of Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas 13148-218, SP, Brazil" |
| DOI: | 10.3390/microorganisms9051008 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2076-2607 (Print) 2076-2607 (Electronic) 2076-2607 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Environmental pollution with alkylbenzene hydrocarbons such as toluene is a recurring phenomenon. Their toxicity and harmful effect on people and the environment drive the search for sustainable removal techniques such as bioremediation, which is based on the microbial metabolism of xenobiotic compounds. Melanized fungi present extremophilic characteristics, which allow their survival in inhospitable habitats such as those contaminated with hydrocarbons. Screening methodologies for testing the microbial assimilation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) are scarce despite their importance for the bioremediation of hydrocarbon associated areas. In this study, 200 strains of melanized fungi were isolated from four different hydrocarbon-related environments by using selective methods, and their biodiversity was assessed by molecular and ecological analyses. Seventeen genera and 27 species from three main orders, namely Chaetothyriales, Cladosporiales, and Pleosporales, were identified. The ecological analysis showed a particular species distribution according to their original substrate. The isolated strains were also screened for their toluene assimilation potential using a simple and inexpensive methodology based on miniaturized incubations under controlled atmospheres. The biomass produced by the 200 strains with toluene as the sole carbon source was compared against positive and negative controls, with glucose and with only mineral medium, respectively. Nineteen strains were selected as the most promising for further investigation on the biodegradation of alkylbenzenes" |
| Keywords: | biodegradation melanized fungi toluene; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEBaron, Noemi Carla Pagnocca, Fernando Carlos Otsuka, Ayumi Aquino Prenafeta-Boldu, Francesc Xavier Vicente, Vania Aparecida Attili de Angelis, Derlene eng 2013/01556-2/Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo/ Switzerland 2021/06/03 Microorganisms. 2021 May 7; 9(5):1008. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9051008" |
