title: Role of heterotrophic bacteria in complete mineralization of trichloroethylene by Methylocystis sp. strain M.
abstract: Biodegradation experiments with radioactively labeled trichloroethylene showed that 32% of the radioactive carbon was converted to glyoxylic acid, dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid and that the same percentage was converted to CO2 and CO after 140 h of incubation by a pure culture of a type II methane-utilizing bacterium, Methylocystis sp. strain M, isolated from a mixed culture, MU-81, in our laboratory. In contrast, these water-soluble (14C)trichloroethylene degradation products were completely or partially degraded further and converted to CO2 by the MU-81 mixed culture. This phenomenon was attributed to the presence of a heterotrophic bacterium (strain DA4), which was identified as Xanthobacter autotrophicus, in the MU-81 culture. The results indicate that the heterotrophic bacteria play an important role in complete trichloroethylene degradation by methanotrophs.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Environmental Studies, Onogawa, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakahara
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D008772:Methylococcaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism*; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D008903:Minerals; D014241:Trichloroethylene