Abstract

Twenty two aniline-degrading bacteria were isolated from agricultural soil and wastewater. The isolates were able to utilize aniline as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. A total of 45% of the isolates were identified to the species level by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis; the isolates were found to be strains of the Burkholderia, Nocardia, Arthrobacter, and Rhodococcus species. Their chromosomal patterns, obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of repetitive extrogenic palindromic(REP) sequences, were distinct from each other. Plasmid DNAs were detected from 45% of the isolates, but only one strain, ANL5, was shown to have a transmissible, aniline degradative plasmid. The isolates were very restricted in their substrate utilization abilities. Aniline degradative enzymes were inducible by the presence of aniline, and most of the isolates appeared to mineralize aniline through an ortho-cleavage path-way using catechol 1,2-dioxygenase.

• Keywords: Aniline; biodegradation; Burkholderia sp.