Degradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons by methylosinus trichosporium OB3b expressing soluble methane monooxygenase

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA)

OSTI ID:5857401

Oldenhuis, R; Vink, R L.J.M.; Janssen, D B; Witholt, B ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Groningen (Netherlands)

Degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) by the methanotrophic bacterium Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b was studied by using cells grown in continuous culture. TCE degradation was a strictly cometabolic process, requiring the presence of a cosubstrate, preferably formate, and oxygen. M. trichosporium OB3b cells degraded TCE only when grown under copper limitation and when the soluble methane monooxygenase was derepressed. During TCE degradation, nearly total dechlorination occurred, as indicated by the production of inorganic chloride, and only traces of 2,2,2-trichloroethanol and trichloroacetaldehyde were produced. TCE degradation proceeded according to first-order kinetics from 0.1 to 0.0002 mM TCE with rate constant of 2.14 ml min{sup {minus}1} mg of cells{sup {minus}1}. TCE concentrations above 0.2 mM inhibited degradation in cell suspensions of 0.42 mg of cells ml{sup {minus}1}. Other chlorinated aliphatics were also degraded by M. trichosporium OB3b. Dichloromethane, chloroform, 1,1-dichloroethane, and 1,2-dichloroethane were completely degraded, with the release of stoichiometric amounts of chloride. trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and 1,2-dichloropropane were completely converted, but not all the chloride was released because of the formation of chlorinated intermediates. 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethylene, and 1,3-dichloropropylene were incompletely converted, and the first compound yielded 2,2,2-trichloroethanol as a chlorinated intermediate. The two perchlorinated compounds tested, carbon tetrachloride and tetrachloroethylene, were not converted.

• OSTI ID: 5857401
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA), Vol. 55:11; ISSN 0099-2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
METABOLISM
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
BIODEGRADATION
OXYGENASES
GENES
CONTINUOUS CULTURE
COPPER
DEHALOGENATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
550500* - Metabolism
550400 - Genetics