Objective: To detect the diversity of the degradation bacteria of halogenated-alkane form the surface seawater of the Arctic Ocean.
Method: Twelve surface-water samples from the Arctic Ocean were collected and enriched using C16 H33 Cl as the sole carbon and energy source. Bacteria from the enriched cultures were isolated on marine agar, and followed by 16S rRNA gene identification and phylogenetic analysis. Further, their degradation ability was tested with C16 H33 Cl. The bacterial community structures were further examined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).
Result: In total 112 isolates were obtained from the 12 samples, of which 19 isolates degraded C16 H33 Cl. Bacteria of Alcanivorax and Rhodococcus exerted good emulsification and degradation, whereas bacteria of Marinobacter also had the degradation capacity, but less. DGGE analysis revealed that Alcanivorax, Parvibaculum and Thioclava were dominated in the enriched consortia.
Conclusion: The C16 H33 Cl degradation bacteria in the Arctic marine environment mainly belonged to alpha-proteobacteria, gamma-proteobacteria, actinobacteria and bacteroidetes. This is the first report on the diversity of degradation bacteria of halogenated alkane in the Arctic Ocean. Our result contributed to the knowledge about the arctic environment and the biodiversity of degrading bacteria.