title: Biodegradation of vinyl chloride and cis-dichloroethene by a Ralstonia sp. strain TRW-1.
abstract: An aerobic bacterium, Ralstonia sp. strain TRW-1, that assimilates vinyl chloride (VC) or ethene (ETH) as the sole carbon source was isolated from a chloroethene-degrading enrichment culture. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequence of the isolate revealed almost 99% sequence similarity to Ralstonia pickettii. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the isolation of a member of Ralstonia that can degrade VC as the growth substrate. The measured growth yield values for VC and ETH were 11.27 and 18.90 g protein/mole, respectively. The estimated half-velocity constant K (m) values for VC and ETH were 9.09+/-2.97 and 5.73+/-2.96 muM, respectively. These values are almost three- to tenfold higher than for other VC-assimilating Mycobacterium sp. The strain also degrades cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) in mineral salts medium containing yeast-extract, beef-extract, casamino acids, or peptone. This ability of the strain TRW-1 to degrade cis-DCE in the presence of a nontoxic, water-soluble substrate is relevant to in-situ remediation of cis-DCE-contaminated aquifers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, 307 Life Sciences East, Stillwater, OK 74078-3020, USA.
authors.forename: Vijai K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Elango
authors.forename: Audra S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Liggenstoffer
authors.forename: Babu Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Fathepure
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001711:Biotransformation; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005018:Ethyl Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism; D020459:Genes, rRNA / Q000235:genetics; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D043367:Ralstonia / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014752:Vinyl Chloride / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005030:Ethylenes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D005018:Ethyl Chloride; C036216:ethylene; D014752:Vinyl Chloride