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Isolation of a Xanthobacter sp. degrading dichloromethane and characterization of the gene involved in the degradation

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Abstract

A bacterial strain able to degrade dichloromethane (DCM) as the sole carbon source was isolated from a wastewater treatment plant receiving domestic and pharmaceutical effluent. 16S rDNA studies revealed the strain to be a Xanthobacter sp. (strain TM1). The new isolated strain when grown aerobically on DCM showed Luong type growth kinetics, with μmax of 0.094 h−1 and S m of 1,435 mg l−1. Strain TM1 was able to degrade other aromatic and aliphatic halogenated compounds, such as halobenzoates, 2-chloroethanol and dichloroethane. The gene for DCM dehalogenase, which is the key enzyme in DCM degradation, was amplified through PCR reactions. Strain TM1 contains type A DCM dehalogenase (dcmAa), while no product could be obtained for type B dehalogense (dcmAb). The sequence was compared against 12 dcmAa from other DCM degrading strains and 98% or 99% similarity was observed with all other previously isolated DCM dehalogenase genes. This is the first time a Xanthobacter sp. is reported to degrade DCM.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the European Community’s Human Potential Programme under contract HP-RTH-CT-2002-00213 (BIOSAP). R. Ferreira Jorge would like to thank financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/18716/2004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 4200-072, Porto, Portugal

    Maria A. E. Emanuelsson, M. Begoña Osuna, Ruben M. Ferreira Jorge & Paula M. L. Castro

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  1. Maria A. E. Emanuelsson
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  2. M. Begoña Osuna
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  3. Ruben M. Ferreira Jorge
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  4. Paula M. L. Castro
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Correspondence to Paula M. L. Castro.

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Emanuelsson, M.A.E., Osuna, M.B., Ferreira Jorge, R.M. et al. Isolation of a Xanthobacter sp. degrading dichloromethane and characterization of the gene involved in the degradation. Biodegradation 20, 235–244 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-008-9216-0

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