ERIC-PCR-based strain-specific detection of phenol-degrading bacteria in activated sludge of wastewater treatment systems.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the use of Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus PCR (ERIC-PCR)-derived probes and primers to specifically detect bacterial strains in an activated sludge microbial community.


RESULTS
ERIC-PCR was performed on two phenol-degrading bacterial strains, Arthrobacter nicotianae P1-7 and Klebsiella sp. P8-14. Their amplicons were DIG labelled for use as probes and then hybridized with ERIC-PCR fingerprints. The results showed the distinct band patterns for both bacterial strains. Strain-specific PCR primers were designed based on the sequences of ERIC-PCR bands. The DNA of each of these strains was successfully detected from its mixture with activated sludge DNA, either by using their respective ERIC-PCR-based probes for hybridization or by using species-specific primers for amplification, with higher sensitivity by latter method.


CONCLUSIONS
Two phenol-degrading bacterial strains were identified from a mixture of activated sludge by using ERIC-PCR-based methods.


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrated that the bacteria, which have important functions in complex wastewater treatment microbial communities, could be specifically detected by using ERIC-PCR fingerprint-based hybridization or amplification.
Wang
L
L
Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Jin
Y
Y
Zhao
L
L
Pang
X
X
Zhang
X
X
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D019800:Phenol / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012722:Sewage; D019800:Phenol