Effect of root-derived substrates on the expression of nah-lux genes in Pseudomonas fluorescens HK44:: Implications for PAH biodegradation in the rhizosphere

The bioluminescent reporter strain Pseudomonas fluorescens HK44 with a nah-lux fusion, was used to investigate the effect of root material (from hybrid poplars, willow, kou, milo, Osage orange, mulberry, and switch grass) and potential root-derived substrates (e.g., sugars, carboxylic acids, amino acids, and phenolics) on the expression of nahG, one of the genes responsible for naphthalene dioxygenase transcription. Whereas nahG was induced by some phenolic substrates that could be released by plants (i.e., salicylate, methyl salicylate, and acetyl salicylate), no induction by root extracts was observed. Rather, increasing root extract concentrations (50 to 275 mg L-1 as total organic carbon) inhibited nahG expression in assays with cells concurrently exposed to naphthalene. Root extracts also decreased nahG expression at the individual cell level during naphthalene degradation assays. However, treatments with root extracts exhibited significantly higher microbial growth and overall bioluminescence, indicating a higher level of nahG expression by the resulting larger microbial population. This generally resulted in faster naphthalene degradation rates, suggesting that plant-promoted proliferation of competent genotypes could compensate for the interference that labile substrates exert on the expression of genes that code for the degradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This could explain the faster PAH degradation commonly reported in planted than in unplanted soils.