Fate of a metal-resistant inoculum in contaminated and pristine soils assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1897/1551-5028(1999)018<1118:FOAMRI>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:6150786

Stephen, J R; Chang, Y J; MacNaughton, S J; Leung, K T; Flemming, C A ^[1]; Whitaker, S L; Hicks, C L ^[2]; White, D C ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Center for Environmental Biotechnology
2. Microbial Insights, Rockford, TN (United States)
3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Center for Environmental Biotechnology Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Div.

Cesium, cadmium, cobalt, and strontium are four contaminants frequently found in soils at biotoxic levels. Introduction of certain nongenetically modified bacteria has been frequently suggested as a method for the immobilization of heavy metal contaminants in soil, thereby reducing runoff and bioavailability. In this study, the authors have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to track the survival of the five bacterial species added to soil microcosms with and without the addition of a mixture of these metals. The PCR primers targeted conserved regions of the 165 rDNA molecular present in all bacteria. The reaction products were shown to reflect the relative abundance of the bacteria both in mixtures of pure cultures and against a background of all the eubacterial species present in the soil following inoculation. Three of the species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa FRD-1, Shewanella putrifaciens 200, and Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough) decreased rapidly following inoculation into both soils. The proportion of Alcaligenes eutrophus CH34 remained at a constant level throughout the 8-week experiment in both soil treatments. Sphingomonas aromaticivorans B0695 showed toxic metal-dependent survival in that its relative abundance dropped rapidly in pristine soil but remained at approximately inoculation levels throughout the experiment in contaminated microcosms.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-96OR22464
• OSTI ID: 6150786
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 18:6; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
CADMIUM
CESIUM
COBALT
GROWTH
IN-SITU PROCESSING
POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION
REMEDIAL ACTION
SOILS
STRONTIUM
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
GENE AMPLIFICATION
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
PROCESSING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport- (1990-)