Key players in the methanogenic biodegradation of n-hexadecane identified by DNA-Stable isotope probing

摘要

Methanogenic biodegradation of n-alkanes is an important process in the biogeochemical carbon cycles. The key players in this biochemical processes were investigated for a 920-day of culturing with universally labelled (UL)-C-13-hexadecane and 1, 2-C-13-hexadecane as the sources of carbon and energy, using stable isotope probing combined with 16S rRNA gene amplification. Results show that the relative abundance of Anaerolineaceae and Tepidiphilus phylotypes increased significantly in the heavy fractions of DNA obtained from the cultures amended with UL-C-13-hexadecane and 1, 2-C-13-hexadecane, indicating their actively involvement in the transformation and biodegradation of the alkanes by the microbial community. This study provides insights into the active members of the microbial community members in hydrocarbon degradation and is of significant scientific value in further research and relative technology to methanogenic degradation of n-alkanes.