title: Biodegradation of bis(2-chloroethyl) ether by Xanthobacter sp. strain ENV481.
abstract: Degradation of bis(2-chloroethyl) ether (BCEE) was observed to occur in two bacterial strains. Strain ENV481, a Xanthobacter sp. strain, was isolated by enrichment culturing of samples from a Superfund site located in the northeastern United States. The strain was able to grow on BCEE or 2-chloroethylethyl ether as the sole source of carbon and energy. BCEE degradation in strain ENV481 was facilitated by sequential dehalogenation reactions resulting in the formation of 2-(2-chloroethoxy)ethanol and diethylene glycol (DEG), respectively. 2-Hydroxyethoxyacetic acid was detected as a product of DEG catabolism by the strain. Degradation of BCEE by strain ENV481 was independent of oxygen, and the strain was not able to grow on a mixture of benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylenes, other prevalent contaminants at the site. Another bacterial isolate, Pseudonocardia sp. strain ENV478 (S. Vainberg et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:5218-5224, 2006), degraded BCEE after growth on tetrahydrofuran or propane but was not able to grow on BCEE as a sole carbon source. BCEE degradation by strain ENV478 appeared to be facilitated by a monooxygenase-mediated O-dealkylation mechanism, and it resulted in the accumulation of 2-chloroacetic acid that was not readily degraded by the strain.
authors.affiliation: Shaw Environmental, Inc., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McClay
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vainberg
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Steffan
mesh_terms: D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004986:Ether / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D020584:Xanthobacter / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004986:Ether; C006767:bis(2-chloroethyl)ether; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases