Halomonas sp. KHS3 as a potential tool for treating hydrocarbon contaminated effluents

CORTI MONZÓN, G; HERRERA SEITZ,MK; MURIALDO, SE

Congreso; 51 Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones Bioquímicas; 2015

Bioremediation is one of the best alternatives for treatment of hydrocarbon (HC) contaminated-wastes. Halomonas sp. KHS3 was isolated from seawater from Mar del Plata port. It has been previously reported by its ability to grow in gasoil (D´Ippólito, 2011) and its whole genomic sequence has been published (Gasperotti, 2015). In this work its ability to use different HC for growing was analyzed. Halomonas was grown in minimal medium with the addition of HCs as the sole source of C and its growth was followed by turbidity at 600 nm. The results showed a strong growth in the following polyaromatic HCs: phenanthrene, naphthalene, fluorene and in benzoic acid. No significant growth was observed in aliphatic HCs (hexano, ciclohexano). Analysis of the genomic sequence in order to identify possible metabolic degradation pathways of Halomonas sp. KHS3, allowed to identify 71 genes related to the metabolism of aromatic compounds. Most of these genes would be involved in catechol and protocatechuate branches of b-ketoadipate pathway. Furthermore, genes of salicylate, gentisate and homogentisate pathway were found. These results, coupled with the plasticity of this bacterium to grow at different temperatures (4-37 ºC), pHs (6-10) and salinities (0.5-12 % p/v), highlights an interesting potential for its use in bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated places.