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Microbial Metabolism and Enzymology: Insights into the Degradation of Organic Substrates by Environmental Bacteria

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2025) | Viewed by 1469

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Biology, Veterinary Faculty, Campus de Vegazana, Universidad de León, 24007 Leon, Spain
Interests: microbiology; biotechnology; biodegradation; steroids; polyhydroxyalkanoates; aromatic compounds; polyethylene terephthalate; biogenic amines; polyamines
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Some organic compounds (alkanes, aromatics, steroids, etc.) that are currently considered pollutants have been in the biosphere for a long time, due to geochemical processes, forest fires, or animal excrement. However, the Anthropocene is characterized by the massive release of these compounds, as well as the spread of compounds that are not found in nature (xenobiotic compounds, such as halogenated compounds or other modified aromatic compounds, modified steroid derivatives, and petrochemical plastics). This proliferation of organic compounds has reached all habitats of the biosphere, triggering different deleterious ecotoxicological effects. However, based on the metabolic and genetic plasticity of bacteria, these organisms have developed, through the recombination and adaptation of pre-existing metabolic functions, horizontal gene transfer and adjustment of metabolic pathways and enzymes, and other mechanisms, the ability to degrade and, most of the time, to use these pollutants as nutrients, thus alleviating the environmental problem.

Therefore, this Special Issue, “Microbial Metabolism and Enzymology: Insights Into the Degradation of Organic Substrates by Environmental Bacteria” will focus on the genomic, metabolic, regulatory, and enzymatic repertoire that bacteria exhibit for the degradation of organic compounds.

Prof. Dr. Elías R. Olivera
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bacterial biodegradation
  • metabolism
  • enzymes
  • genomics
  • metabolomics
  • xenobiotics
  • aromatic compounds
  • alkanes
  • steroids
  • pollutants

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2067 KiB  
Article
Characterizing A21: Natural Cyanobacteria-Based Consortium with Potential for Steroid Bioremediation in Wastewater Treatment
by Govinda Guevara, Jamileth Stefania Espinoza Solorzano, Marta Vargas Ramírez, Andrada Rusu and Juana María Navarro Llorens
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 13018; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252313018 - 4 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1030
Abstract
Microalga–bacteria consortia are increasingly recognized for their effectiveness in wastewater treatment, leveraging the metabolic synergy between microalgae and bacteria to enhance nutrient removal and overall treatment efficiency. These systems offer a sustainable approach to addressing pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, their [...] Read more.
Microalga–bacteria consortia are increasingly recognized for their effectiveness in wastewater treatment, leveraging the metabolic synergy between microalgae and bacteria to enhance nutrient removal and overall treatment efficiency. These systems offer a sustainable approach to addressing pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, their potential in removing specific contaminants like steroid hormones is less explored. In this study, a natural microbial consortium, A21, has been characterized and isolated from primary sewage treatment in Madrid and its potential for bioremediation of steroid hormone effluents has been evaluated. The A21 consortium includes Alphaproteobacteria genera Sphingopyxis and Pseudorhizobium and the Cyanobacterium Cyanobium. Sphingopyxis (31.78%) is known for biodegradation, while Pseudorhizobium (15.68%) exhibits detoxification abilities. Cyanobium (14.2%) may contribute to nutrient uptake and oxygen production. The effects of pH, nitrogen sources, and Sodium chloride concentrations on growth were evaluated. The optimal growth conditions were determined to be a pH range of 7 to 9, a salt concentration below 0.1 M, and the presence of a nitrogen source. The consortium also demonstrated effective growth across various types of wastewaters (primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment effluents). Additionally, A21 exhibited the ability to grow in the presence of steroids and transform them into other compounds, such as converting androstenedione (AD) into androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) and β-estradiol into estrone. Full article
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