Bioremediation of Catechol and Concurrent Accumulation of Biocompounds by the Microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii

Burgeoning commercial applicationsof catechol have ledto itsexcessive accumulation in the environment, thereby posing a severeecological threat. Bioremediation has emerged as a promising solution.The potential of the microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii to degrade catechol and use the byproduct as a carbon source wasinvestigated in this study. Catechol significantly increased C. cohnii growth and was rapidly catabolized within60 h of cultivation. Transcriptomic analysis highlighted the key genesinvolved in catechol degradation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) analysis showed that transcription of key genes CatA,CatB, and SaID involved in the ortho-cleavagepathway was remarkably increased by 2.9-, 4.2-, and 2.4- fold, respectively.Key primary metabolite content was also markedly altered, with a specificincrement in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Electron microscopy andantioxidant analysis showed that C. cohnii could tolerate catechol treatment without morphological aberrationsor oxidative stress. The findings provide a strategy for C. cohnii in the bioremediation of catechol and concurrentpolyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) accumulation.

Automated summary

The excessive accumulation of catechol in the environment due to its burgeoning commercial applications poses a severe ecological threat. This study investigated the potential of the microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii to degrade catechol and utilize the byproduct as a carbon source. Results showed that catechol significantly increased the growth of C. cohnii and was rapidly catabolized within 60 hours. Transcriptomic analysis identified key genes involved in catechol degradation, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed a remarkable increase in the transcription of these genes. The study also demonstrated altered primary metabolite content and the ability of C. cohnii to tolerate catechol treatment without adverse effects.