Selection and Isolation of Aromatic Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria

Abstract

Thirthy-four anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria and 7 other environmental isolates were exanlined for their ability to grow anaerobically in light in monocyclic aromatic compound, including benzoate, salysilate (2- hydroxybenzoate), phenol, gentisate (2,s-dihydrosybcnzoate), and catechol (l,?-benzenediol). Five aerobic bactcria were tested for aerobic utilization of the monocyclic aromatic compound. Twenty-seven out of 41 of isolated anosygcnic photosynthetic bacteria (65.8%) were able to grow in 5 mM benzoate. DS-1, DS-4, and Cas-13 of the anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria and DS-8, MR1.2, and PG9.1 of the aerobic bacteria showed relatively short gencratiori time. The ability of purple non-sulfur bacteria to grow in gentisate might be firstly reported. \Ye also observed that hIR1.2 aas the only Gram positive isolate of the aerobic bacteria capable of growing in atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylanlino-6- isopropylaniino-1,3,5-triazine).