Comparative response of two Burkholderia fungorum strains grown as planktonic cells versus biofilm to dibenzothiophene and select polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

In natural environments, bacteria often exist in close association with surfaces and interfaces by establishing biofilms. Here we report on the ability of Burkholderia fungorum strains DBT1 and 95 to survive in high concentrations of hydrocarbons and compare growth as a biofilm vs. planktonic cells. The compounds tested were dibenzothiophene (DBT) and a mixture of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene (5:2:1) as representative compounds of thiophenes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), respectively. The results showed that both strains were able to degrade dibenzothiophene and survive up to 2000 mg路L-1 of this compound both as a biofilm and as free-living cells. Moreover, B. fungorum DBT1 showed reduced tolerance towards the mixed PAHs (naphthalene 2000 mg路L-1, phenanthrene 800 mg路L-1 and pyrene 400 mg路L-1) both as a biofilm and as free-living cells. Conversely, biofilms of B. fungorum 95 enhanced resistance against these toxic compounds in comparison to planktonic cells (PThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author