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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #180289
Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF CLADOSPORIUM OXYSPORUM AND C. SPHAEROSPERMUM USING POLYAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) AS THEIR SOLE CARBON SOURCE IN TROPICAL COASTAL SEAWATER.

Author
item NIEVES-RIVERA, A - UNIV. PUERTO RICO
item RODRIGUEZ, N - UNIV. PUERTO RICO
item Dugan, Frank
item ZAIDI, B - UNIV. PUERTO RICO
item WILLIAMS, E - UNIV. PUERTO RICO

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/8/2005
Publication Date: 1/1/2006
Citation: Nieves-Rivera, A.M., Rodriguez, N.J., Dugan, F.M., Zaidi, B.R., Williams, E.H. 2006. Characterization of cladosporium oxysporum and c. sphaerospermum using polyaromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) as their sole carbon source in tropical coastal seawater. In: . Mendez-Vilas (ed.), Modern Multidisciplinary Applied Microbiology: Exploiting Microbes and Their Interactions. Weinheim:Wiley-VCH. p.483-487.

Interpretive Summary: Several common, saprophytic members of the fungal genus Cladosporium are distributed world-wide and occasionally occur in marine environments. Two isolates, one of C. oxysporum and one of C. sphaerospermum (both species are quite common in tropical regions) were cultured from environments in coastal Puerto Rico with a history of contamination from petrochemicals. Both isolates were recovered from these environments based on their ability to grow on agar media made from seawater and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The ability to metabolize PAHs is a prerequisite for utility in bioremediation of areas polluted with petrochemicals, so the ability of these common species to metabolize PAHs has been recorded. Written descriptions and photographs are provided for both isolates.

Technical Abstract: Two species of Cladosporium (C. oxysporum and C. sphaerospermum) were isolated from surface coastal water based on their ability to use the polyaromatic hydrocarbons naphthalene and phenanthrene as a sole carbon and energy source. Although both Cladosporium spp. are cosmopolitan, both species are new records to mangrove forests of Puerto Rico. These two species may be of value in bioremediation of natural oil spills or other contaminants in tropical environments.