Caracterização e expressão gênica de cepas ambientais do gênero acinetobacter sp. na biodegradação de petróleo

Abstract

Oil-derived pollution can have significant and long-lasting impacts on the environment. Bioremediation appears as a viable alternative to address this problem. Several studies highlight the biotechnological potential of environmental strains of Acinetobacter baumannii for bioremediation. However, it is essential to deepen the understanding of the genetic mechanisms of this species to optimize its biotechnological potential. Therefore, this work aims to characterize strains of Acinetobacter baumannii oleumficedula, identifying genes related to hydrocarbon biodegradation, as well as their presence in manipulation pathways, and analyzing the expression of target genes. To this end, analyzes of biosurfactant production, estimates of hydrocarbon handling, gene expression analyzes and evaluation of the strains' genome were carried out. From these analyses, it was possible to verify the efficiency of all strains in biosurfactant production, with hydrocarbon management estimates ranging from 7.94% to 69.82%. Approximately 81 different genes associated with bioremediation were identified in 16 distinct metabolic pathways. The positive expression of all 12 genes presented suggests promising potential. By examining the genomic context, the genetic similarity of the strains was verified. However, even with genetic similarities, the strains show significant phenotypic differences, possibly attributed to the presence of a regulator or regulator. In summary, it can be inferred that all strains are promising for application in the handling of hydrocarbons.