Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1994 Jul;60(7):2265–2271. doi: 10.1128/aem.60.7.2265-2271.1994

Degradation of alkylphenol ethoxylates by Pseudomonas sp. strain TR01.

H Maki 1, N Masuda 1, Y Fujiwara 1, M Ike 1, M Fujita 1
PMCID: PMC201642  PMID: 8074508

Abstract

An alkylphenol ethoxylate-degrading bacterium was isolated from activated sludge of a municipal sewage treatment plant by enrichment culture. This organism was found to belong to the genus Pseudomonas; since no corresponding species was identified, we designated it as Pseudomonas sp. strain TR01. This strain had an optimal temperature and pH of 30 degrees C and 7, respectively, for both growth and the degradation of Triton N-101 (a nonylphenol ethoxylate in which the average number of ethylene oxide [EO] units is 9.5). The strain was unable to mineralize Triton N-101 but was able to degrade its EO chain exclusively. The resulting dominant intermediate was identified by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as a nonylphenol ethoxylate with 2 mol of EO units. A carboxylated metabolite, [(nonylphenoxy)ethoxy]acetic acid, was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This bacterium also metabolized alcohol ethoxylates with various numbers of EO units but not polyethylene glycols whatever their degree of polymerization. By oxygen consumption assay, the alkyl group or arene corresponding to the hydrophobic part of alcohol ethoxylates or alkylphenol ethoxylates was shown to contribute to the induction of the metabolic system of the EO chain of Triton N-101, instead of the EO chain itself, which corresponds to its hydrophilic part. Thus, the isolated pseudomonad bacterium has unique substrate assimilability: it metabolizes the EO chain only when the chain linked to bulky hydrophobic groups.

Full text

PDF
2265

Selected References

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

  1. Ahel M., McEvoy J., Giger W. Bioaccumulation of the lipophilic metabolites of nonionic surfactants in freshwater organisms. Environ Pollut. 1993;79(3):243–248. doi: 10.1016/0269-7491(93)90096-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cripps R. E. The microbial metabolism of thiophen-2-carboxylate. Biochem J. 1973 Jun;134(2):353–366. doi: 10.1042/bj1340353. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dwyer D. F., Tiedje J. M. Metabolism of polyethylene glycol by two anaerobic bacteria, Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and a Bacteroides sp. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Oct;52(4):852–856. doi: 10.1128/aem.52.4.852-856.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ekelund R., Bergman A., Granmo A., Berggren M. Bioaccumulation of 4-nonylphenol in marine animals--a re-evaluation. Environ Pollut. 1990;64(2):107–120. doi: 10.1016/0269-7491(90)90108-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. FINCHER E. L., PAYNE W. J. Bacterial utilization of ether glycols. Appl Microbiol. 1962 Nov;10:542–547. doi: 10.1128/am.10.6.542-547.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Giger W., Brunner P. H., Schaffner C. 4-Nonylphenol in sewage sludge: accumulation of toxic metabolites from nonionic surfactants. Science. 1984 Aug 10;225(4662):623–625. doi: 10.1126/science.6740328. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jenkins L. D., Cook K. A., Cain R. B. Microbial degradation of polyethylene glycols. J Appl Bacteriol. 1979 Aug;47(1):75–85. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1979.tb01171.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jiménez L., Breen A., Thomas N., Federle T. W., Sayler G. S. Mineralization of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate by a four-member aerobic bacterial consortium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 May;57(5):1566–1569. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.5.1566-1569.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Sigoillot J. C., Nguyen M. H. Complete oxidation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate by bacterial communities selected from coastal seawater. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1992 Apr;58(4):1308–1312. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.4.1308-1312.1992. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Steber J., Wierich P. Metabolites and biodegradation pathways of fatty alcohol ethoxylates in microbial biocenoses of sewage treatment plants. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Mar;49(3):530–537. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.3.530-537.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Sturm R. N. Biodegradability of nonionic surfactants: screening test for predicting rate and ultimate biodergradation. J Am Oil Chem Soc. 1973 May;50(5):158–167. doi: 10.1007/BF02640470. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Wagener S., Schink B. Fermentative degradation of nonionic surfactants and polyethylene glycol by enrichment cultures and by pure cultures of homoacetogenic and propionate-forming bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Feb;54(2):561–565. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.2.561-565.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES