Construction and applications of DNA probes for detection of polychlorinated biphenyl-degrading genotypes in toxic organic-contaminated soil environments

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA)

OSTI ID:6922395

Walia, S; Khan, A; Rosenthal, N ^[1]

---

1. Oakland Univ., Rochester, MI (USA)

Several DNA probes for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading genotypes were constructed from PCB-degrading bacteria. These laboratory-engineered DNA probes were used for the detection, enumeration, and isolation of specific bacteria degrading PCBs. Dot blot analysis of purified DNA from toxic organic chemical-contaminated soil bacterial communities showed positive DNA-DNA hybridization with a 32P-labeled DNA probe (pAW6194, cbpABCD). Less than 1% of bacterial colonies isolated from garden topsoil and greater than 80% of bacteria isolated from PCB-contaminated soils showed DNA homologies with 32P-labeled DNA probes. Some of the PCB-degrading bacterial isolates detected by the DNA probe method did not show biphenyl clearance. The DNA probe method was found to detect additional organisms with greater genetic potential to degrade PCBs than the biphenyl clearance method did. Results from this study demonstrate the usefulness of DNA probes in detecting specific PCB-degrading bacteria, abundance of PCB-degrading genotypes, and genotypic diversity among PCB-degrading bacteria in toxic chemical-polluted soil environments. We suggest that the DNA probe should be used with caution for accurate assessment of PCB-degradative capacity within soils and further recommend that a combination of DNA probe and biodegradation assay be used to determine the abundance of PCB-degrading bacteria in the soil bacterial community.

• OSTI ID: 6922395
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA), Vol. 56:1; ISSN 0099-2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
BIODEGRADATION
DNA
BIOASSAY
SOILS
CONTAMINATION
BACTERIA
DNA HYBRIDIZATION
GENE REGULATION
GENOTYPE
PHOSPHORUS 32
PLASMIDS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
AROMATICS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECOMPOSITION
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYBRIDIZATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MICROORGANISMS
NUCLEI
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
550501 - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques