title: Methanogenic octadecene degradation by syntrophic enrichment culture from brackish sediments.
abstract: A microbial enrichment culture from brackish sediments was able to grow on octadec-1-ene (an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon) as sole source of carbon and energy, under methanogenic conditions. Octadecene degradation is stopped either when bromoethanesulfonic acid, a selective inhibitor of methanogenesis is introduced, or when hydrogen is introduced. In the presence of bromoethanesulfonic acid, the degradation is restored by the addition of a hydrogenotrophic sulfate-reducing microorganism with sulfate. Results of molecular biodiversity, which revealed the presence of bacteria as well as of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens, are consistent with a syntrophic degradation involving Bacteria and Archaea. This is the first demonstration of syntrophic alkene degradation by microbial communities, showing that syntrophy is more widespread than we could have thought so far. These results highlight the need for a better understanding of microbial interactions and their role in the organic-matter degradation in polluted environments.
authors: Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie, équipe Microbiologie Environnementale et Biotechnologie, Aix-Marseille Université, Polytech Marseille, Marseille Cedex 09, France. agnes.hirschler@univ-amu.fr
authors: Agnès
authors: A
authors: Hirschler-Réa
authors: Cristiana
authors: C
authors: Cravo-Laureau
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Casalot
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Matheron
mesh_terms: D000475:Alkenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D044822:Biodiversity; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D000475:Alkenes; D008697:Methane