title: Detection and characterization of a dehalogenating microorganism by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of 16S rRNA in a sulfidogenic, 2-bromophenol-utilizing enrichment.
abstract: Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of reverse-transcribed 16S rRNA during periods of community flux was used as a tool to delineate the roles of the members of a 2-bromophenol-degrading, sulfate-reducing consortium. Starved, washed cultures were amended with 2-bromophenol plus sulfate, 2-bromophenol plus hydrogen, phenol plus sulfate, or phenol with no electron acceptor and were monitored for substrate use. In the presence of sulfate, 2-bromophenol and phenol were completely degraded. In the absence of sulfate, 2-bromophenol was dehalogenated and phenol accumulated. Direct terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of the 16S rRNA in the various subcultures indicated that phylotype 2BP-48 (a Desulfovibrio-like sequence) was responsible for the dehalogenation of 2-bromophenol. A stable coculture was established which contained predominantly 2BP-48 and a second Desulfovibrio-like bacterium (designated BP212 based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting) that was capable of dehalogenating 2-bromophenol to phenol. Strain 2BP-48 in the coculture could couple reductive dehalogenation to growth with 2-bromophenol, 2,6-dibromophenol, or 2-iodophenol and lactate or formate as the electron donor. In addition to halophenols, strain 2BP-48 appears to use sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate as electron acceptors and is capable of simultaneous sulfidogenesis and reductive dehalogenation in the presence of sulfate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, USA.
authors.forename: Donna E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Fennell
authors.forename: Sung-Keun
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Young-Beom
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Max M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Häggblom
authors.forename: Lee J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kerkhof
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003470:Culture Media; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods; D003901:Desulfovibrio / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D010636:Phenols; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013431:Sulfates; D006859:Hydrogen; C032038:2-bromophenol