Bioprospecting for Genes Encoding Hydrocarbon-Degrading Enzymes from Metagenomic Samples Isolated from Northern Adriatic Sea Sediments.

Three metagenomic libraries were constructed using surface sediment samples from the northern Adriatic Sea. Two of the samples were taken from a highly polluted and an unpolluted site respectively. The third sample from a polluted site had been enriched using crude oil.

Bacterial diversity of polluted surface sediments in the northern Adriatic Sea.

Samples were collected from sea sediments at seven sites in the northern Adriatic Sea that included six sites next to industrial complexes and one from a tourist site (recreational beach). The samples were assayed for alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The composition of the hydrocarbon samples suggested that industrial pollution was present in most cases.

Relationships between heterotrophic bacteria and cyanobacteria in the northern Adriatic in relation to the mucilage phenomenon.

High variability of heterotrophic bacterial (HB; 0.1.10(9)-6.

Fatty acid profiling of microbial community during aging of mucilaginous aggregates in the northern Adriatic.

Aggregates differing in size and phytoplankton community composition were sampled in winter/spring 2001 and summer 1997 and 2002 (during mucilaginous event) in the northern Adriatic Sea. The fatty acid profiles (FAME) were determined in aggregates, bacterial population was grown from each aggregate and each bacterial isolate from aggregate's plated cultures. All aggregates irrespective of the season, aggregate size or phytoplankton community composition contained isolates from three distinct groups, with fatty acid profiles corresponding to alpha-Proteobacteria, gamma-Proteobacteria and Cytophaga-Flavobacter (CF) complex but in different relative proportions.