Amphiphilic siderophore production by oil-associating microbes

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 released an unprecedented amount of oil into the ocean waters of the Gulf of Mexico. As a consequence, bioremediation by oil-degrading microbes has been a topic of increased focus. One factor limiting the rate of hydrocarbon degradation by microbial communities is the availability of necessary nutrients, including iron. The siderophores produced from two Vibrio spp. isolated from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, along with the well-studied oil-degrading microbe, Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2, are studied under iron-limiting conditions. Here we report the amphiphilic amphibactin siderophores produced by the oil-associated bacteria, Vibrio sp. S1B, Vibrio sp. S2A and Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2. These findings provide insight into oil-associating microbial iron acquisition.