Mobilization of pollutant-degrading bacteria by Eukaryotic zoospores

Sungthong, R. , van West, P., Heyman, F., Jensen, D. F. and Ortega-Calvo, J.-J. (2016) Mobilization of pollutant-degrading bacteria by Eukaryotic zoospores. Environmental Science and Technology, 50(14), pp. 7633-7640. (doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00994) (PMID:27286642)

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Abstract

The controlled mobilization of pollutant-degrading bacteria has been identified as a promising strategy for improving bioremediation performance. We tested the hypothesis whether the mobilization of bacterial degraders may be achieved by the action of eukaryotic zoospores. We evaluated zoospores that are produced by the soil oomycete Pythium aphanidermatum as a biological vector, and, respectively, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading bacteria Mycobacterium gilvum VM552 and Pseudomonas putida G7, acting as representative non-flagellated and flagellated species. The mobilization assay was performed with a chemical-in-capillary method, in which zoospores mobilized bacterial cells only when they were exposed to a zoospore homing inducer (5% (v/v) ethanol), which caused the tactic response and settlement of zoospores. The mobilization was strongly linked to bacterial motility, because the non-flagellated cells from strain M. gilvum VM552 and slightly motile, stationary-phase cells from P. putida G7 were mobilized effectively, but the actively motile, exponentially-grown cells of P. putida G7 were not mobilized. The computer-assisted analysis of cell motility in mixed suspensions showed that the swimming rate was enhanced by zoospores in stationary, but not in exponentially-grown, cells of P. putida G7. It is hypothesized that the directional swimming of zoospores caused bacterial mobilization through the thrust force of their flagellar propulsion. Our results suggest that, by mobilizing pollutant-degrading bacteria, zoospores can act as ecological amplifiers for fungal and oomycete mycelial networks in soils, extending their potential in bioremediation scenarios.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Sungthong, Dr Rungroch
Authors: Sungthong, R., van West, P., Heyman, F., Jensen, D. F., and Ortega-Calvo, J.-J.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
Journal Name:Environmental Science and Technology
Publisher:American Chemical Society
ISSN:0013-936X
ISSN (Online):1520-5851
Published Online:10 June 2016
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2016 American Chemical Society
First Published:First published in Environmental Science and Technology 50(14):7633-7640
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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