Characterization and gene expressionandenvironmental strains ofthegenre acinetobacter sp. In petroleum biodegradation
Hydrocarbons; Acinetobacter baumannii, Gene expression, degradation genes.
Pollution from oil can have significant andlong-lasting effects ontheenvironment. Bioremediation canbean alternative to this problem. Several studies reportthe biotechnological potential for bioremediation by environmental Acinetobacter baumannii. However, it is still necessary toexpandtheunderstandingofthe genetic mechanisms of this speciesto maximize its biotechnological potential. Therefore, this work aimstocharacterize strains of Acinetobacter baumannii oleumficedula, identify genes related tothe biodegradation of hydrocarbons, as well as their presence in degradation pathways andanalyzetheexpressionof target genes. To this end, it was necessary tocarry out biosurfactant production tests, estimate hydrocarbon degradation, design primers, rt-qPCR and perform bioinformatics analyses. From these analyses, it was possible toverifythe efficiency of all strains in the production of biosurfactant, in addition, the strains presented an estimate of hydrocarbon degradation that varied from 7.94 to 69.82%. Approximately 81 different genes associated with bioremediation were identified in 16 distinct metabolic pathways. The expressionof 12 genes was observed, all of which were upregulated. The gnomiccontexthighlightedthe genetic similarityofthe strains, however, even with genetic similarities, the strains show significant phenotypicdifferences, which canbe attributed tothe presence of a master regulator. Finally, it canbeinferred that all strains are promising for application in hydrocarbon degradation.