[Thermotolerant oil-degrading bacteria isolated from soil and water of geographically distant regions]

Oil-degrading bacteria were isolated from soil and water samples taken in Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Antarctic; 13 of 86 strains proved to be thermotolerant. These bacteria utilized crude oil at 45–50°C; their growth optimum (35–37°C) and range (20–53°C) differ from those of mesophilic bacteria. Thermotolerant strains were identified as representatives of the genera Rhodococcus and Gordonia. It was shown that their ability to degrade petroleum products does not differ at 24 and 45°C. The strains Rhodococcus sp. Par7 and Gordonia sp. 1D utilized 14 and 20% of the oil, respectively, in 14 days at 45°C. All of the isolated thermotolerant bacteria grew in a medium containing 3% NaCl; the medium for the strains Gordonia amicalis 1B and Gordonia sp. 1D contained up to 10% NaCl. The bacteria G. amicalis and Rhodococcus erythropolis were able to utilize crude oil and individual hydrocarbons at higher (up to 50°C) temperatures.