Moderate thermophilic chemoorganoheterotrophic bacterium in surface layer of anthropogenic grounds of industrial estate area of Al-Mafraq, Jordan

Abstract

Surface of oil-contaminated soil from Industrial Estate of Al-Mafraq city, Jordan, was investigated for the presence of aerobic oil-degrading moderately thermophilic bacteria. A pure culture of spore - forming aerobic chemoorganogeterotrophic rod shaped bacterial isolate, designated as strain j3n, was obtained. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain j3n is closely related to gram-positive bacteria of kaustophilus - thermoleovorans cluster of Geobacillus genus. Strain j3n grew aerobically with oil, hexadecane, benzoate and acetate. Growth data indicated that utilization of hexadecane but not of oil and benzoate might be under catabolite repression control. Possibility of a regulation of alkane degradation by acetate in aerobic thermophilic gram-positive bacteria of Geobacillus spp. was shown for the first time.