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Updated: May 20, 2026

Isolation, Propagation, and Identification of Bacterial Species with Hydrocarbon Metabolizing Properties from Aquatic Habitats
Published on: December 7, 2021
Isolation and characterization of marine bacteria capable of utilizing phthalate
Hiroaki Iwaki1, Ayaka Nishimura, Yoshie Hasegawa
1Department of Life Science and Biotechnology and ORDIST, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate-cho, Suita, Osaka 564-8680, Japan. iwaki@kansai-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Eleven phthalate-degrading bacterial strains were isolated from seawater collected off the coast of Japan. The isolates were found to be most closely related to the marine bacterial genera Alteromonas, Citreicella, Marinomonas, Marinovum, Pelagibaca, Rhodovulum, Sulfitobacter, Thalassobius, Thalassococcus, Thalassospira, and Tropicibacter. For the first time, members of these genera were shown to be capable of growth on phthalate. The plate assay for visual detection of phthalate dioxygenase activity and PCR detection of a possible gene encoding 4,5-dihydroxyphthalate decarboxylase indicated that phthalate is degraded via 4,5-dihydroxyphthalate to protocatechuate in all the isolates.
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