Abstract
In this study, a halotolerant yeast that is capable of efficiently decolorizing and detoxifying azo dyes was isolated, identified and characterized for coping with the treatment of azo-dye-containing wastewaters. A characterization of the yeast, including the optimization of its metabolism and growth conditions, its detoxification effectiveness and the degradation pathway of the target azo dye, as well as a determination of the key activities of the enzyme, was performed. Finally, the possible halotolerance mechanisms of the yeast were proposed through a comparative transcriptome analysis. The results show that a halotolerant yeast, A4, which could decolorize various azo dyes, was isolated from a marine environment and was identified as Meyerozyma guilliermondii. Its optimal conditions for dye decolorization were ≥1.0 g/L of sucrose, ≥0.2 g/L of (NH4)2SO4, 0.06 g/L of yeast extract, pH 6.0, a temperature of 35 °C and a rotation speed of ≥160 rpm. The yeast, A4, degraded and detoxified ARB through a series of steps, relying on the key enzymes that might be involved in the degradation of azo dye and aromatic compounds. The halotolerance of the yeast, A4, was mainly related to the regulation of the cell wall components and the excessive uptake of Na+/K+ and/or compatible organic solutes into the cells under different salinity conditions. The up-regulation of genes encoding Ca2+-ATPase and casein kinase II as well as the enrichment of KEGG pathways associated with proteasome and ribosome might also be responsible for its halotolerance.