Involvement of plasmids in total degradation of chlorinated biphenyls

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6369922

Furukawa, K; Chakrabarty, A M

Acinetobacter sp. stain P6 has previously been reported to utilize biphenyl (BP) and chlorinated BPs, with accumulation of corresponding chlorbenzoic acids. Arthrobacter sp. strain M5 was isolated as a contaminant in the culture of Acinetobacter sp. strain P6 growing on 4-chlorobiphenyl and showed properties similar to P6 in the degradation of chlorinated BPs. Both strains harbored an identical plasmid of 53.7 megadaltons. These strains spontaneously lost the ability to utilize BP and 4-chlorobiphenyl with high frequency (4 to 8%) after overnight growth in nutrient broth. The BP/sup -/ derivatives could not regain the BP-assimilating ability (reversion frequency, <10/sup -9/ per cell per generation) but retained the plasmid with small, detectable deletions. BP/sup +/ P6 cells grown on BP or benzoate oxidized BP and 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl and produced meta cleavage compounds from the latter compound (lambda/sub max/, 434 nm) and also from catechol (lambda/sub max/, 375 nm) through the meta pathway. On the other hand, benzoate-grown BP/sup -/ segregants totally lost the BP-metabolizig activities and oxidized catechol through the ortho pathway. A combined culture of the chlorinated BP-dissimilating P6 or M5 strain (harboring the putative 53.7-megadalton plasmid specifying conversion of chlorobiphenyl to chlorobenzoic acids) and genetically constructed mono- or dichlorobenzoate-utilizing pseudomonads (harboring plasmids encoding complete utilization of mono- or dichlorobenzoates) allowed greater than 98% utilization of mono- and dichlorobiphenyls, with the liberation of equivalent amounts of chloride ions.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago
• OSTI ID: 6369922
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States) Vol. 44:3; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550400 -- Genetics
550700 -- Microbiology
560302* -- Chemicals Metabolism &amp; Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGY
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
DECOMPOSITION
GENETICS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PLASMIDS
PSEUDOMONAS