Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1991 Jan;57(1):236–244. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.1.236-244.1991

Influence of endogenous and exogenous electron donors and trichloroethylene oxidation toxicity on trichloroethylene oxidation by methanotrophic cultures from a groundwater aquifer.

S M Henry 1, D Grbić-Galić 1
PMCID: PMC182691  PMID: 2036010

Abstract

Trichloroethylene (TCE)-transforming aquifer methanotrophs were evaluated for the influence of TCE oxidation toxicity and the effect of reductant availability on TCE transformation rates during methane starvation. TCE oxidation at relatively low (6 mg liter-1) TCE concentrations significantly reduced subsequent methane utilization in mixed and pure cultures tested and reduced the number of viable cells in the pure culture Methylomonas sp. strain MM2 by an order of magnitude. Perchloroethylene, tested at the same concentration, had no effect on the cultures. Neither the TCE itself nor the aqueous intermediates were responsible for the toxic effect, and it is suggested that TCE oxidation toxicity may have resulted from reactive intermediates that attacked cellular macromolecules. During starvation, all methanotrophs tested exhibited a decline in TCE transformation rates, and this decline followed exponential decay. Formate, provided as an exogenous electron donor, increased TCE transformation rates in Methylomonas sp. strain MM2, but not in mixed culture MM1 or unidentified isolate, CSC-1. Mixed culture MM2 did not transform TCE after 15 h of starvation, but mixed cultures MM1 and MM3 did. The methanotrophs in mixed cultures MM1 and MM3, and the unidentified isolate CSC-1 that was isolated from mixed culture MM1 contained lipid inclusions, whereas the methanotrophs of mixed culture MM2 and Methylomonas sp. strain MM2 did not. It is proposed that lipid storage granules serve as an endogenous source of electrons for TCE oxidation during methane starvation.

Full text

PDF
238

Images in this article

239Image
on p.239

Selected References

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

  1. Alvarez-Cohen L., McCarty P. L. Effects of toxicity, aeration, and reductant supply on trichloroethylene transformation by a mixed methanotrophic culture. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Jan;57(1):228–235. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.1.228-235.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Arciero D., Vannelli T., Logan M., Hooper A. B. Degradation of trichloroethylene by the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1989 Mar 15;159(2):640–643. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(89)90042-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bergman K. Interactions of trichloroethylene with DNA in vitro and with RNA and DNA of various mouse tissues in vivo. Arch Toxicol. 1983 Nov;54(3):181–193. doi: 10.1007/BF01239202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bolt H. M., Filser J. G. Irreversible binding of chlorinated ethylenes to macromolecules. Environ Health Perspect. 1977 Dec;21:107–112. doi: 10.1289/ehp.7721107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bonse G., Henschler D. Chemical reactivity, biotransformation, and toxicity of polychlorinated aliphatic compounds. CRC Crit Rev Toxicol. 1976 Oct;4(4):395–409. doi: 10.1080/10408447609164019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bouwer E. J., McCarty P. L. Transformations of 1- and 2-carbon halogenated aliphatic organic compounds under methanogenic conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Apr;45(4):1286–1294. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.4.1286-1294.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Davies S. L., Whittenbury R. Fine structure of methane and other hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 May;61(2):227–232. doi: 10.1099/00221287-61-2-227. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fogel M. M., Taddeo A. R., Fogel S. Biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes by a methane-utilizing mixed culture. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Apr;51(4):720–724. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.4.720-724.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Folsom B. R., Chapman P. J., Pritchard P. H. Phenol and trichloroethylene degradation by Pseudomonas cepacia G4: kinetics and interactions between substrates. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 May;56(5):1279–1285. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.5.1279-1285.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Harker A. R., Kim Y. Trichloroethylene degradation by two independent aromatic-degrading pathways in Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Apr;56(4):1179–1181. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.4.1179-1181.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Linton J. D., Cripps R. E. The occurrence and identification of intracellular polyglucose storage granules in Methylococcus NCIB 11083 grown in chemostat culture on methane. Arch Microbiol. 1978 Apr 27;117(1):41–48. doi: 10.1007/BF00689349. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Little C. D., Palumbo A. V., Herbes S. E., Lidstrom M. E., Tyndall R. L., Gilmer P. J. Trichloroethylene biodegradation by a methane-oxidizing bacterium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Apr;54(4):951–956. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.4.951-956.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Miller R. E., Guengerich F. P. Metabolism of trichloroethylene in isolated hepatocytes, microsomes, and reconstituted enzyme systems containing cytochrome P-450. Cancer Res. 1983 Mar;43(3):1145–1152. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Miller R. E., Guengerich F. P. Oxidation of trichloroethylene by liver microsomal cytochrome P-450: evidence for chlorine migration in a transition state not involving trichloroethylene oxide. Biochemistry. 1982 Mar 2;21(5):1090–1097. doi: 10.1021/bi00534a041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nelson M. J., Montgomery S. O., Mahaffey W. R., Pritchard P. H. Biodegradation of trichloroethylene and involvement of an aromatic biodegradative pathway. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 May;53(5):949–954. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.5.949-954.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nelson M. J., Montgomery S. O., O'neill E. J., Pritchard P. H. Aerobic metabolism of trichloroethylene by a bacterial isolate. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Aug;52(2):383–384. doi: 10.1128/aem.52.2.383-384.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nelson M. J., Montgomery S. O., Pritchard P. H. Trichloroethylene metabolism by microorganisms that degrade aromatic compounds. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Feb;54(2):604–606. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.2.604-606.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Oldenhuis R., Vink R. L., Janssen D. B., Witholt B. Degradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b expressing soluble methane monooxygenase. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Nov;55(11):2819–2826. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.11.2819-2826.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tsien H. C., Bratina B. J., Tsuji K., Hanson R. S. Use of oligodeoxynucleotide signature probes for identification of physiological groups of methylotrophic bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Sep;56(9):2858–2865. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.9.2858-2865.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tsien H. C., Brusseau G. A., Hanson R. S., Waclett L. P. Biodegradation of trichloroethylene by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Dec;55(12):3155–3161. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.12.3155-3161.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Vannelli T., Logan M., Arciero D. M., Hooper A. B. Degradation of halogenated aliphatic compounds by the ammonia- oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Apr;56(4):1169–1171. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.4.1169-1171.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Vogel T. M., McCarty P. L. Biotransformation of tetrachloroethylene to trichloroethylene, dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and carbon dioxide under methanogenic conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 May;49(5):1080–1083. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.5.1080-1083.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wackett L. P., Brusseau G. A., Householder S. R., Hanson R. S. Survey of microbial oxygenases: trichloroethylene degradation by propane-oxidizing bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Nov;55(11):2960–2964. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.11.2960-2964.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wackett L. P., Gibson D. T. Degradation of trichloroethylene by toluene dioxygenase in whole-cell studies with Pseudomonas putida F1. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Jul;54(7):1703–1708. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.7.1703-1708.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wackett L. P., Householder S. R. Toxicity of Trichloroethylene to Pseudomonas putida F1 Is Mediated by Toluene Dioxygenase. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 Oct;55(10):2723–2725. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.10.2723-2725.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wilson J. T., Wilson B. H. Biotransformation of trichloroethylene in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Jan;49(1):242–243. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.1.242-243.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES