title: Bacterial community structure and bamA gene diversity in anaerobic degradation of toluene and benzoate under denitrifying conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the microbial community structure and bamA gene diversity involved in anaerobic degradation of toluene and benzoate under denitrifying conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nitrate-reducing enrichment cultures were established on either toluene, benzoate or without additional substrate. Bacterial community structures were characterized by 16S rRNA gene-based PCR-DGGE analysis. bamA gene diversity was analysed using DGGE and cloning methods. The results showed that bamA gene related to bamA of Thauera chlorobenzoica was dominant in toluene and benzoate cultures. However, a greater diversity of sequences was obtained in benzoate cultures. Low diversity of bamA gene was observed, and some similarities of bamA were also found between active cultures and backgrounds, suggesting that potential natural attenuation of aromatic compounds might occur.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined analysis of 16S rRNA and bamA genes suggests that the species related to genera Thauera dominated toluene- and benzoate-degrading cultures. The combination of multiple methods (DGGE and cloning) provides a more complete picture of bamA gene diversity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first report of bamA gene in denitrifying enrichments using DGGE and cloning analysis.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Nankai District, Tianjin, China. lyoung@aesop.rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Y-N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mumford
authors.forename: X-H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001565:Benzoates / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D044822:Biodiversity; D058440:Denitrification; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D020628:Thauera / Q000378:metabolism; D014050:Toluene / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001565:Benzoates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014050:Toluene