INVESTIGADORES
LOZADA mariana
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Alkane monooxygenase gene diversity in Subantarctic marine sediments
Autor/es:
GUIBERT, LILIAN; LOVISO, CLAUDIA; MARCOS, MAGALÍ; DIONISI, HEBE; LOZADA, MARIANA
Lugar:
Puerto Madryn
Reunión:
Congreso; XLVI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímicay Biología Molecular (SAIB 2010); 2010
Institución organizadora:
Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímicay Biología Molecular
Resumen:
Culture
independent methods were used to characterize bacterial populations associated with
aliphatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in cold marine environments, using
functional genes as targets. Alkane monooxygenase (alkB) gene libraries were constructed using DNA
extracted from sediments of a chronically-polluted
site in Ushuaia Bay,
Tierra del Fuego. PCR reactions were carried
out using
degenerate primers in order to cover a wide range of alkB gene types. More than 250 clones were analyzed by RFLP, and
representatives of each restriction pattern were sequenced. Phylogenetic
analysis revealed a high diversity of alkB
genes, including novel divergent sequences as well as members of all known
variants of alkB genes. Particularly,
two groups of genes moderately related to the genus Alcanivorax, an obligate oil degrading marine bacterium, were highly
frequent in libraries from samples obtained in 2006-2008, suggesting that this important
group is a stable member of the microbial community at this site. Moreover,
these gene variants were related to the ones previously found in Alcanivorax isolates from northern Patagonia, indicating they are widespread in the region. Currently,
the effect of crude oil exposure on alkB
gene diversity is being studied using an experimental system, to test the
effect of the addition of nutrients, a commonly used bioremediation treatment.