GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF SOME BACTERIAL ISOLATES IN UTILIZATION OF HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS

Abstract

Six bacterial isolates belonging to the genus Pseudomonas were selected for their high ability to utilize crude oil. These isolates showed a diverge ability for utilization of different hydrocarbon compounds and 2 isolates (P. aeruginosa RB19 and Pseudomonas sp. RB29) were able to utilize all the tested compounds except tetrahydrofuran, sodium toluate and trans–1, 2–diphenylethylene. Conjugation between P. aeruginosa RB19 and P. aeruginosa RB27 was made in an attempt to obtain bacterial isolates, capable to utilize a wide range of hydrocarbon compounds. The conjugation was successful and a number of transconjugants were obtained. All transconjugants were able to utilize sodium toluate, and some of these transconjugants were able to utilize salicylic acid. This indicated thatP. aeruginosa RB27 was the recipient bacterium which received pSR202 plasmid (responsible for salicylic acid and benzoate utilization) fromP. aeruginosa RB19.