Fungal diversity and surfactant-producing fungi in oil contaminated environments.

Aims To investigate fungal diversity and biosurfactant-producing fungi in four oil-contaminated sites. Methods and results Water and sediment samples were collected from four sites in Brittany (France), over two periods, in winter/spring and summer. Fungal diversity was investigated using a metagenetic approach targeting the ITS2 region. Surface-active compound production of 701 fungal isolates collected from these samples after direct plating or following enrichment was assessed using oil spreading and Parafilm M tests. Fungal communities were highly diverse and the main dominant fungal taxa were members of the Cladosporium, Penicillium, Pseudeurotium, Phoma, Aspergillus , and Trichoderma as well as Ochroconis, Fusicolla , and Aureobasidium genera in specific sites. A total of 179 isolates (25.5% of total isolates) were positive to at least one of the screening tests, while 105 were positive to both tests. Major genera among the positive isolates were Fusarium, Trichoderma, Candida , and Penicillium. Six isolates belonging to Aureobasidium pullulans, Mucor griseocyanus, Trichoderma citrinoviride, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichodermalongibrachiatum , and Diaporthe eres showed promising activities. Conclusions The present study highlighted the fungal diversity of oil-contaminated environments and the fact that surface-active compound production is widespread in fungi originating from these habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]