Diversity of naphthalene-degrading bacteria from a petroleum contaminated soil

Six different communities of microorganisms from soil samples of a petroleum contaminated site were isolated for their ability to degrade naphthalene, the main pollutant present at the site. The analysis of the naphthalene degrading communities highlighted the metabolic differences due to the ability of selected bacteria to metabolise hydrocarbon through the formation of gentisic acid or catechol as intermediates. Of the thirteen selected naphthalene degrading bacteria, belonging to Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, Nocardia and Pseudomonas genera, nine showed PCR fragment amplification with naphthalene dioxygenase specific primers of Rhodococcus spp. while four were detected with primers of naphthalene dioxygenase of Pseudomonas spp.