Linking toluene degradation with specific microbial populations in soil.
Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis of a soil microbial community was coupled with (13)C isotope tracer analysis to measure the community's response to addition of 35 microg of [(13)C]toluene ml of soil solution(-1). After 119 h of incubation with toluene, 96% of the incorporated (13)C was detected in only 16 of the total 59 PLFAs (27%) extracted from the soil. Of the total (13)C-enriched PLFAs, 85% were identical to the PLFAs contained in a toluene-metabolizing bacterium isolated from the same soil. In contrast, the majority of the soil PLFAs (91%) became labeled when the same soil was incubated with [(13)C]glucose. Our study showed that coupling (13)C tracer analysis with PLFA analysis is an effective technique for distinguishing a specific microbial population involved in metabolism of a labeled substrate in complex environments such as soil.
Hanson
J R
JR
Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Macalady
J L
JL
Harris
D
D
Scow
K M
KM
D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014050:Toluene / Q000378:metabolism*
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014050:Toluene; D005947:Glucose