IDENTIFYING DIVERSITY OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) DEGRADING BACTERIA IN COAL SAMPLES OF BHADRADRI KOTHAGUDEM DISTRICT
*M. Poornachander Rao and Anitha Yerra
ABSTRACT
The present investigation is conducted to isolate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degrading bacteria from an opencast coalmine samples located in Bhadradri-Kothagudem District. A total of five distinct PAHs degrading bacterial colony forming units were identified from the samples using minimal salt medium that supplemented with a PAHs compound phenanthrene. Lytic-zone formations on solid MSM also confirmed the PAHs compounds degradation. Cell and colony morphologies along with Gram reaction of the isolates studied. All the isolates are Gram-positive; and one isolate is rod shaped, two are coryne form and two are cocci. The isolates further screened for their ability to grow on three test PAHs compounds phenanthrene, anthracene or pyrene as sole source of carbon using MSM and the
results revealed that the isolates recorded optimum growth on the test PAHs. The isolates are differing vastly at both morphological and biochemical characterizations. Finally, the isolates characterized at molecular level by adopting 16S rDNA sequencing method and the isolates identified at last by the compilation of morphological, biochemical and molecular characterizations data as Bacillus licheniformis KMM11, Brachybacterium muris KMM12, Brachybacterium muris KMM13, Micrococcus luteus KMM14 and Staphylococcus aureus KMM15.
Keywords: PAHs, Minimal salt medium, Phenanthrene, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus.
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