Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1997 Dec;63(12):4826–4832. doi: 10.1128/aem.63.12.4826-4832.1997

Two anaerobic polychlorinated biphenyl-dehalogenating enrichments that exhibit different para-dechlorination specificities.

Q Wu 1, J Wiegel 1
PMCID: PMC168807  PMID: 9406402

Abstract

Two anaerobic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-dechlorinating enrichments with distinct substrate specificities were obtained: a 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorobiphenyl (2346-CB) para-dechlorinating enrichment derived from Aroclor 1260-contaminated Woods Pond (Lenox, Mass.) sediment and a 2,4,6-trichlorobiphenyl (246-CB) unflanked para-dechlorinating enrichment derived from PCB-free Sandy Creek Nature Center (Athens, Ga.) sediment. The enrichments have been successfully transferred to autoclaved soil slurries over 20 times by using 300 to 350 microM 2346-CB or 246-CB. Both enrichments required soil for successful transfer of dechlorination activity. The 2346-CB enrichment para dehalogenated, in the absence or presence of 2346-CB, only 4 of 25 tested para halogen-containing congeners: 234-CB, 2345-CB, 2346-CB, and 2,4,6-tribromobiphenyl (246-BrB). In the presence of 246-CB, the 246-CB enrichment para dehalogenated 23 of the 25 tested congeners. However, only three congeners (34-CB, 2346-CB, and 246-BrB) were dehalogenated in the absence of 246-CB, indicating that these specific congeners initiate dehalogenation in this enrichment culture. The addition of the 2346-CB (para)-dechlorinating enrichment did not further stimulate the 2346-CB-primed dechlorination of the Aroclor 1260 residue in Woods Pond sediment samples. Compared to the addition of the primer 246-CB or the 246-CB unflanked para-dechlorinating enrichment alone, the addition of both 246-CB (300 microM) and the 246-CB enrichment stimulated the unflanked para dechlorination of the Aroclor 1260 residue in Woods Pond sediments. These results indicate that the two enrichments contain different PCB-dechlorinating organisms, each with high substrate specificities. Furthermore, bioaugmentation with the enrichment alone did not stimulate the desired dechlorination in PCB-contaminated Woods Pond sediment.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (174.2 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abramowicz D. A. Aerobic PCB biodegradation and anaerobic PCB dechlorination in the environment. Res Microbiol. 1994 Jan;145(1):42–46. doi: 10.1016/0923-2508(94)90067-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berkaw M., Sowers K. R., May H. D. Anaerobic ortho Dechlorination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls by Estuarine Sediments from Baltimore Harbor. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1996 Jul;62(7):2534–2539. doi: 10.1128/aem.62.7.2534-2539.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Boyle A. W., Blake C. K., Price W. A., May H. D. Effects of polychlorinated biphenyl congener concentration and sediment supplementation on rates of methanogenesis and 2,3,6-trichlorobiphenyl dechlorination in an anaerobic enrichment. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 Sep;59(9):3027–3031. doi: 10.1128/aem.59.9.3027-3031.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown J. F., Jr, Bedard D. L., Brennan M. J., Carnahan J. C., Feng H., Wagner R. E. Polychlorinated biphenyl dechlorination in aquatic sediments. Science. 1987 May 8;236(4802):709–712. doi: 10.1126/science.236.4802.709. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cole J. R., Cascarelli A. L., Mohn W. W., Tiedje J. M. Isolation and characterization of a novel bacterium growing via reductive dehalogenation of 2-chlorophenol. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 Oct;60(10):3536–3542. doi: 10.1128/aem.60.10.3536-3542.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dolfing J. Reductive dechlorination of 3-chlorobenzoate is coupled to ATP production and growth in an anaerobic bacterium, strain DCB-1. Arch Microbiol. 1990;153(3):264–266. doi: 10.1007/BF00249079. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. May H. D., Boyle A. W., Price W. A., 2nd, Blake C. K. Subculturing of a polychlorinated biphenyl-dechlorinating anaerobic enrichment on solid media. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Dec;58(12):4051–4054. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.12.4051-4054.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Morris P. J., Mohn W. W., Quensen J. F., 3rd, Tiedje J. M., Boyd S. A. Establishment of polychlorinated biphenyl-degrading enrichment culture with predominantly meta dechlorination. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Sep;58(9):3088–3094. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.9.3088-3094.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Quensen J. F., 3rd, Tiedje J. M., Boyd S. A. Reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls by anaerobic microorganisms from sediments. Science. 1988 Nov 4;242(4879):752–754. doi: 10.1126/science.242.4879.752. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Quensen John F., Boyd Stephen A., Tiedje James M. Dechlorination of Four Commercial Polychlorinated Biphenyl Mixtures (Aroclors) by Anaerobic Microorganisms from Sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Aug;56(8):2360–2369. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.8.2360-2369.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sanford R. A., Cole J. R., Löffler F. E., Tiedje J. M. Characterization of Desulfitobacterium chlororespirans sp. nov., which grows by coupling the oxidation of lactate to the reductive dechlorination of 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoate. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1996 Oct;62(10):3800–3808. doi: 10.1128/aem.62.10.3800-3808.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Wu Q., Bedard D. L., Wiegel J. Effect of Incubation Temperature on the Route of Microbial Reductive Dechlorination of 2,3,4,6-Tetrachlorobiphenyl in Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)-Contaminated and PCB-Free Freshwater Sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1997 Jul;63(7):2836–2843. doi: 10.1128/aem.63.7.2836-2843.1997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wu Q., Bedard D. L., Wiegel J. Influence of incubation temperature on the microbial reductive dechlorination of 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorobiphenyl in two freshwater sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1996 Nov;62(11):4174–4179. doi: 10.1128/aem.62.11.4174-4179.1996. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ye D., Quensen J. F., 3rd, Tiedje J. M., Boyd S. A. Anaerobic dechlorination of polychlorobiphenyls (Aroclor 1242) by pasteurized and ethanol-treated microorganisms from sediments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Apr;58(4):1110–1114. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.4.1110-1114.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Ye D., Quensen J. I., Tiedje J. M., Boyd S. A. Evidence for para dechlorination of polychlorobiphenyls by methanogenic bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1995 Jun;61(6):2166–2171. doi: 10.1128/aem.61.6.2166-2171.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES