Pseudomonas strains have a variety of potential uses in bioremediation and biosynthesis of biodegradable plastics. Pseudomonas sp. strain phDV1, a Gram-negative phenol degrading bacterium, has been found to utilize monocyclic aromatic compounds as sole carbon source via the meta-cleavage pathway. The degradation of aromatic compounds comprises an important step in the removal of pollutants. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of the Pseudomonas sp. strain phDV1 to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and examining the effect of phenol concentration on PHA production. The bacterium was cultivated in minimal medium supplemented with different concentrations of phenol ranging from 200-600 mg/L. The activity of the PHA synthase, the key enzyme which produces PHA, was monitored spectroscopically in cells extracts. Furthermore, the PHA synthase was identified by mass spectrometry in cell extracts analyzed by SDS-PAGE. Transmission electron micrographs revealed abundant electron-transparent intracellular granules. The isolated biopolymer was confirmed to be polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by FTIR, NMR and MALDI-TOF/TOF analyses. The ability of strain Pseudomonas sp. phDV1 to remove phenol and to produce PHB makes the strain a promising biocatalyst in bioremediation and biosynthesis of biodegradable plastics.
Keywords: Pseudomonas sp. strain phDV1; biodegradable plastics; biodegradation; class I; meta-cleavage pathway; phenol; poly(R)-hydroxyalkanoic acid synthase; polyhydroxyalkanoates.