Study on the Lake Baikal microbial community in the areas of the natural oil seeps

• Published in: Applied biochemistry and microbiology Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 287 - 291
• Main Authors: Pavlova, O. N., Zemskaya, T. I., Gorshkov, A. G., Parfenova, V. V., Suslova, M. Yu, Khlystov, O. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SP MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 01.05.2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacillus; Bacteria; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Freshwater; Lakes; Life Sciences; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Micrococcus; Oil; Pseudomonas; Rhodococcus; Sediments; Studies; Lake Baikal; Russia, Siberia, Baykal L; Squalan; Rhodococcus; Maximal Permissible Concentration; Apply Biochemistry; Bottom Sediment
• ISSN: 0003-6838; 1608-3024
• DOI: 10.1134/S0003683808030101

We studied the composition of a natural microbial community, the distribution of different groups of microorganisms (including those able to degrade oil hydrocarbons) within the areas of natural oil seeps in the Lake Baikal. It was revealed that, in the bottom sediments, the oil-degrading microorganisms dominating the community have included the bacteria of g. Bacillus , while in the water column, dominating microbes are presented by species of genera Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas , and Micrococcus . Under the conditions of the model experiment, the potential activity of Baikal microbes towards utilization of n-alcanes has been assessed. Under such conditions it was shown that the concentration of n-alcanes decreases to 60% during 20 days of the experiment (the initial oil concentration was 0.5 mg/l, i.e., ten maximal permissible concentrations, MPC).