Biodegradation of ethyl t-butyl ether (ETBE), methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) and t-amyl methyl ether (TAME) by Gordonia terrae.
Gordonia terrae strain IFP 2001 was selected from activated sludge for its capacity to grow on ethyl t-butyl ether (ETBE) as sole carbon and energy source. ETBE was stoichiometrically degraded to t-butyl alcohol (TBA) and the activity was inducible. A constitutive strain, G. terrae IFP 2007, derived from strain IFP 2001, was also selected. Methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) and t-amyl methyl ether (TAME) were not used as carbon and energy sources by the two strains, but cometabolic degradation of MTBE and TAME was demonstrated, to TBA and t-amyl alcohol (TAA) respectively, in the presence of a carbon source such as ethanol. No two-carbon compound was detected during growth on ETBE, but formate was produced during cometabolic degradation of MTBE or TAME. A monooxygenase was involved in the degradation of ethers, because no degradation of ETBE was observed under anaerobic conditions and the presence of a cytochrome P-450 was demonstrated in G. terrae IFP 2001 after induction by cultivation on ETBE.
Hernandez-Perez
G
G
Institut Français du Pétrole, Département de Microbiologie, Rueil-Malmaison.
Fayolle
F
F
Vandecasteele
J P
JP
D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003470:Culture Media; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D005019:Ethyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D018508:Water Purification
D003470:Culture Media; D005019:Ethyl Ethers; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D012722:Sewage; C043243:methyl tert-butyl ether; C098546:ethyl tert-butyl ether; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C096680:tertiary-amyl methyl ether