ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Molecular Isolation, Screening and Identification
of Hydrocarbon Degrading Fungi from
Oil Contaminated Soils, Iraq
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Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Salahaddin-Erbil, 44002, Iraq
Submission date: 2023-11-16
Final revision date: 2023-12-24
Acceptance date: 2024-02-05
Online publication date: 2024-06-14
Publication date: 2024-07-12
Corresponding author
Dilshad Ganjo
Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Salahaddin-Erbil, 44002, Iraq
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(5):5647-5659
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ABSTRACT
The primary objective of this research is to isolate and distinguish indigenous fungal strains capable
of breaking down hydrocarbons from soils contaminated with oil. This study encompasses various
geographical sites within the oilfields of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The extracted DNA
from the hypha was used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using a universal primer
(ITS1/ITS2). PCR product sequencing analyses were compared with the other related sequences in
GenBank (NCBI) for molecular evolutionary analyses. Results showed that, out of 68 screened fungal
strains, only two genera (i.e., Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium sp.) were identified as the most potent
hydrocarbon degrading fungi. This was consistent with the highest hydrocarbon degradation percentage
values (91.76% and 81.87%) calculated for Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium sp., respectively, after two
months of bioremediation. DNA sequence analysis confirmed the validity of the species as A. fumigatus-
KU321562.1, A. flavus-MH270609.1, A. niger-MK452260.1, and P. chrysogenum-MK696383.1.
In conclusion, molecular techniques employed in fungal taxonomy provide a high degree of accuracy
and enable identification that doesn’t depend on cultivation, relying on stable genetic markers. These
markers furnish reliable and uniform data, granting researchers the ability to fine-tune the level of
detail, thus proving indispensable for comprehending fungal diversity and a wide array of practical
uses.