Characterization and genomic analysis of highly efficient thermotolerant oil-degrading bacterium Gordonia sp. 1D

Abstract

A thermotolerant bacterial strain 1D isolated from refinery oil-contaminated soil was identified as Gordonia sp. based on the analysis of 16S rRNA and gyrB gene sequences. The strain was found to utilize crude oil, diesel fuel, and a wide spectrum of alkanes at temperatures up to 50 °C. Strain 1D is the first representative of Gordonia amicalis capable of utilizing alkanes of chain length up to С₃₆ at a temperature of 45-50 °C. The degree of crude oil degradation by Gordonia sp. 1D at 45 °C was 38% in liquid medium and 40% in soil (with regard to abiotic loss). There are no examples of so effective hydrocarbon-oxidizing thermotolerant Gordonia in the world literature. The 1D genome analysis revealed the presence of two alkane hydroxylase gene clusters, genes of dibenzothiophene cleavage, and the cleavage of salicylate and gentisate - naphthalene metabolism intermediates. The highly efficient thermotolerant strain Gordonia sp. 1D can be used in remediation of oil-contaminated soils in hot climates.