Pyrene degradation accelerated by constructed consortium of bacterium and microalga: Effects of degradation products on the microalgal growth

Abundant microbes including bacteria, fungi, or algae are capable of biodegrading polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, pure cultures never occur in the contaminated environments. This study aimed to understand the general potential mechanisms of interactions between microbes under pollution stress by constructing a consortium of PAH-degrading microalga (Selenastrum capricornutum) and bacterium (Mycobacterium sp. strain A1-PYR). Bacteria alone could grow on the pyrene, whereas the growth of algae alone was substantially inhibited by the pyrene of 10 mg L^-1. In the mixing culture of algae and bacteria, the growth rate of algae was significantly increased from day 4 onward. Rapid bacterial degradation of pyrene might mitigate the toxicity of pyrene to algae. Phenolic acids, the bacterial degradation products of pyrene, could serve as the phytohormone for promoting algal growth in the coculture of algae and bacteria. In turn, bacterial growth was also enhanced by the algae presented in the mixing culture. Consequently, the fastest degradation of pyrene among all biodegradation systems was achieved by the consortium of algae and bacteria probably due to such interactions between the two species by virtue of degradation products. This study reveals that the consortium containing multiple microbial species is high potential for microbial remediation of pyrene-contaminated environments, and provides a new strategy to degrade the recalcitrant PAHs.