Extremotolerant Yeasts in Bioremediation

Bioremediation represents a crucial strategy for the removal of contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are toxic to biota in various environments. Among these, phenanthrene (Phe) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) are commonly used as model compounds for studying the degradation of low- and high-molecular-weight PAHs, respectively, due to their mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. As an oil producer, Mexico experiences frequent incidents of oil spills and illegal extraction activities, leading to significant ecological damage. In recent decades, fungi have emerged as an effective tool for the removal or degradation of such contaminants. The aim of the present study was to explore the metagenomic and genomic potential of fungi isolated from contaminated soils. In this work, we report the isolation of two yeast strains and four bacterial strains from soil continuously contaminated with crude oil derivatives.