title: Catabolic plasmids of environmental and ecological significance.
abstract: The environmental and ecological significance of catabolic plasmids and their host strains are discussed in the context of their potential application for environmental biotechnology. Included is a comprehensive list of naturally occurring discrete catabolic plasmids isolated from either natural habitats or selective enrichment studies. General properties, such as plasmid maintenance, stability and transfer, are discussed together with the techniques for plasmid detection and monitoring in the environment. The issues concerning the construction of catabolic strains with new or broader substrate ranges and the uses of monocultures or consortia for in situ treatment are addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Graduate Program in Ecology, and Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, 10515 Research Drive, Suite 200, 37932-2567, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Sayler
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Layton
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: King