scholarly journals Dehalococcoides mccartyi Strain DCMB5 Respires a Broad Spectrum of Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds

2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 587-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlén Pöritz ◽  
Christian L. Schiffmann ◽  
Gerd Hause ◽  
Ulrike Heinemann ◽  
Jana Seifert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Acceptor ◽  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Lag Phase ◽  
Organohalide Respiration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Almost All

ABSTRACTPolyhalogenated aromatic compounds are harmful environmental contaminants and tend to persist in anoxic soils and sediments.Dehalococcoides mccartyistrain DCMB5, a strain originating from dioxin-polluted river sediment, was examined for its capacity to dehalogenate diverse chloroaromatic compounds. Strain DCMB5 used hexachlorobenzenes, pentachlorobenzenes, all three tetrachlorobenzenes, and 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene as well as 1,2,3,4-tetra- and 1,2,4-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin as electron acceptors for organohalide respiration. In addition, 1,2,3-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and 1,3-, 1,2-, and 1,4-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin were dechlorinated, the latter to the nonchlorinated congener with a remarkably short lag phase of 1 to 4 days following transfer. Strain DCMB5 also dechlorinated pentachlorophenol and almost all tetra- and trichlorophenols. Tetrachloroethene was dechlorinated to trichloroethene and served as an electron acceptor for growth. To relate selected dechlorination activities to the expression of specific reductive dehalogenase genes, the proteomes of 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene-, pentachlorobenzene-, and tetrachloroethene-dechlorinating cultures were analyzed. Dcmb_86, an ortholog of the chlorobenzene reductive dehalogenase CbrA, was the most abundant reductive dehalogenase during growth with each electron acceptor, suggesting its pivotal role in organohalide respiration of strain DCMB5. Dcmb_1041 was specifically induced, however, by both chlorobenzenes, whereas 3 putative reductive dehalogenases, Dcmb_1434, Dcmb_1339, and Dcmb_1383, were detected only in tetrachloroethene-grown cells. The proteomes also harbored a type IV pilus protein and the components for its assembly, disassembly, and secretion. In addition, transmission electron microscopy of DCMB5 revealed an irregular mode of cell division as well as the presence of pili, indicating that pilus formation is a feature ofD. mccartyiduring organohalide respiration.

scholarly journals Transcriptomic and Proteomic Responses of the Organohalide-Respiring Bacterium Desulfoluna spongiiphila to Growth with 2,6-Dibromophenol as the Electron Acceptor

2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Liu ◽  
Lorenz Adrian ◽  
Max M. Häggblom
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Electron Acceptor ◽  
Marine Sponge ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenation ◽  
Important Process ◽  
Organohalide Respiration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Significant Difference

ABSTRACT Organohalide respiration is an important process in the global halogen cycle and for bioremediation. In this study, we compared the global transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of Desulfoluna spongiiphila strain AA1, an organohalide-respiring member of the Desulfobacterota isolated from a marine sponge, with 2,6-dibromophenol or with sulfate as an electron acceptor. The most significant difference of the transcriptomic analysis was the expression of one reductive dehalogenase gene cluster (rdh16), which was significantly upregulated with the addition of 2,6-dibromophenol. The corresponding protein, reductive dehalogenase RdhA16032, was detected in the proteome under treatment with 2,6-dibromophenol but not with sulfate only. There was no significant difference in corrinoid biosynthesis gene expression levels between the two treatments, indicating that the production of corrinoid in D. spongiiphila is constitutive or not specific for organohalide versus sulfate respiration. Electron-transporting proteins or mediators unique for reductive dehalogenation were not revealed in our analysis, and we hypothesize that reductive dehalogenation may share an electron-transporting system with sulfate reduction. The metabolism of D. spongiiphila, predicted from transcriptomic and proteomic results, demonstrates high metabolic versatility and provides insights into the survival strategies of a marine sponge symbiont in an environment rich in organohalide compounds and other secondary metabolites. IMPORTANCE Respiratory reductive dehalogenation is an important process in the overall cycling of both anthropogenic and natural organohalide compounds. Marine sponges produce a vast array of bioactive compounds as secondary metabolites, including diverse halogenated compounds that may enrich for dehalogenating bacteria. Desulfoluna spongiiphila strain AA1 was originally enriched and isolated from the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba and can grow with both brominated compounds and sulfate as electron acceptors for respiration. An understanding of the overall gene expression and the protein production profile in response to organohalides is needed to identify the full complement of genes or enzymes involved in organohalide respiration. Elucidating the metabolic capacity of this sponge-associated bacterium lays the foundation for understanding how dehalogenating bacteria may control the fate of organohalide compounds in sponges and their role in a symbiotic organobromine cycle.

scholarly journals The MarR-Type Regulator Rdh2R RegulatesrdhGene Transcription in Dehalococcoides mccartyi Strain CBDB1

2016 ◽  
Vol 198 (23) ◽  
pp. 3130-3141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Krasper ◽  
Hauke Lilie ◽  
Anja Kublik ◽  
Lorenz Adrian ◽  
Ralph Golbik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heterologous Expression ◽  
Direct Repeat ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Control Of Gene Expression ◽  
Organohalide Respiration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Transcriptional Start Sites

ABSTRACTReductive dehalogenases are essential enzymes in organohalide respiration and consist of a catalytic subunit A and a membrane protein B, encoded byrdhABgenes. Thirty-twordhABgenes exist in the genome ofDehalococcoides mccartyistrain CBDB1. To gain a first insight into the regulation ofrdhoperons, the control of gene expression of twordhABgenes (cbdbA1453/cbdbA1452 and cbdbA1455/cbdbA1454) by the MarR-type regulator Rdh2R (cbdbA1456) encoded directly upstream was studied using heterologous expression andin vitrostudies. Promoter-lacZreporter fusions were generated and integrated into the genome of theEscherichia colihost. ThelacZreporter activities of bothrdhApromoters decreased upon transformation of the cells with a plasmid carrying therdh2Rgene, suggesting that Rdh2R acts as repressor, whereas thelacZreporter activity of therdh2Rpromoter was not affected. The transcriptional start sites of bothrdhAgenes in strain CBDB1 and/or the heterologous host mapped to a conserved direct repeat with 11- to 13-bp half-sites. DNase I footprinting revealed binding of Rdh2R to a ∼30-bp sequence covering the complete direct repeat in both promoters, including the transcriptional start sites. Equilibrium sedimentation ultracentrifugation revealed that Rdh2R binds as tetramer to the direct-repeat motif of therdhA(cbdbA1455) promoter. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, a similar binding affinity was found for bothrdhApromoters. In the presence of only one half-site of the direct repeat, the interaction was strongly reduced, suggesting a positive cooperativity of binding, for which unusual short palindromes within the direct-repeat half-sites might play an important role.IMPORTANCEDehalococcoides mccartyistrains are obligate anaerobes that grow by organohalide respiration. They have an important bioremediation potential because they are capable of reducing a multitude of halogenated compounds to less toxic products. We are now beginning to understand how these organisms make use of this large catabolic potential, wherebyD. mccartyiexpresses dehalogenases in a compound-specific fashion. MarR-type regulators are often encoded in the vicinity of reductive dehalogenase genes. In this study, we made use of heterologous expression andin vitrostudies to demonstrate that the MarR-type transcription factor Rdh2R acts as a negative regulator. We identify its binding site on the DNA, which suggests a mechanism by which it controls the expression of two adjacent reductive dehalogenase operons.

scholarly journals 6-Hydroxypseudooxynicotine Dehydrogenase Delivers Electrons to Electron Transfer Flavoprotein during Nicotine Degradation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens S33

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rongshui Wang ◽  
Jihong Yi ◽  
Jinmeng Shang ◽  
Wenjun Yu ◽  
Zhifeng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Transfer ◽  
Agrobacterium Tumefaciens ◽  
Electron Transport ◽  
Electron Acceptor ◽  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Coenzyme Q ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electron Transfer Flavoprotein ◽  
Nicotine Degradation

ABSTRACT Agrobacterium tumefaciens S33 degrades nicotine via a novel hybrid of the pyridine and the pyrrolidine pathways. The hybrid pathway consists of at least six steps involved in oxidoreductive reactions before the N-heterocycle can be broken down. Collectively, the six steps allow electron transfer from nicotine and its intermediates to the final acceptor O2 via the electron transport chain (ETC). 6-Hydroxypseudooxynicotine oxidase, renamed 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine dehydrogenase in this study, has been characterized as catalyzing the fourth step using the artificial electron acceptor 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol. Here, we used biochemical, genetic, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses to determine that 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine dehydrogenase utilizes the electron transfer flavoprotein (EtfAB) as the physiological electron acceptor to catalyze the dehydrogenation of pseudooxynicotine, an analogue of the true substrate 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine, in vivo, into 3-succinoyl-semialdehyde-pyridine. NAD(P)+, O2, and ferredoxin could not function as electron acceptors. The oxygen atom in the aldehyde group of the product 3-succinoyl-semialdehyde-pyridine was verified to be derived from H2O. Disruption of the etfAB genes in the nicotine-degrading gene cluster decreased the growth rate of A. tumefaciens S33 on nicotine but not on 6-hydroxy-3-succinoylpyridine, an intermediate downstream of the hybrid pathway, indicating the requirement of EtfAB for efficient nicotine degradation. The electrons were found to be further transferred from the reduced EtfAB to coenzyme Q by the catalysis of electron transfer flavoprotein:ubiquinone oxidoreductase. These results aid in an in-depth understanding of the electron transfer process and energy metabolism involved in the nicotine oxidation and provide novel insights into nicotine catabolism in bacteria. IMPORTANCE Nicotine has been studied as a model for toxic N-heterocyclic aromatic compounds. Microorganisms can catabolize nicotine via various pathways and conserve energy from its oxidation. Although several oxidoreductases have been characterized to participate in nicotine degradation, the electron transfer involved in these processes is poorly understood. In this study, we found that 6-hydroxypseudooxynicotine dehydrogenase, a key enzyme in the hybrid pyridine and pyrrolidine pathway for nicotine degradation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens S33, utilizes EtfAB as a physiological electron acceptor. Catalyzed by the membrane-associated electron transfer flavoprotein:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, the electrons are transferred from the reduced EtfAB to coenzyme Q, which then could enter into the classic ETC. Thus, the route for electron transport from the substrate to O2 could be constructed, by which ATP can be further sythesized via chemiosmosis to support the baterial growth. These findings provide new knowledge regarding the catabolism of N-heterocyclic aromatic compounds in microorganisms.

scholarly journals Unexpected Specificity of Interspecies Cobamide Transfer from Geobacter spp. to Organohalide-Respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi Strains

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (18) ◽  
pp. 6630-6636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yan ◽  
Kirsti M. Ritalahti ◽  
Darlene D. Wagner ◽  
Frank E. Löffler
Keyword(s):  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Synthetic Medium ◽  
Geobacter Sulfurreducens ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Gene Copies ◽  
Pure Cultures

ABSTRACTDehalococcoides mccartyistrains conserve energy from reductive dechlorination reactions catalyzed by corrinoid-dependent reductive dehalogenase enzyme systems.Dehalococcoideslacks the ability forde novocorrinoid synthesis, and pure cultures require the addition of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) for growth. In contrast,Geobacter lovleyi, which dechlorinates tetrachloroethene tocis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), and the nondechlorinating speciesGeobacter sulfurreducenshave complete sets of cobamide biosynthesis genes and produced 12.9 ± 2.4 and 24.2 ± 5.8 ng of extracellular cobamide per liter of culture suspension, respectively, during growth with acetate and fumarate in a completely synthetic medium.G. lovleyi-D. mccartyistrain BAV1 or strain FL2 cocultures provided evidence for interspecies corrinoid transfer, andcis-DCE was dechlorinated to vinyl chloride and ethene concomitant withDehalococcoidesgrowth. In contrast, negligible increase inDehalococcoides16S rRNA gene copies and insignificant dechlorination occurred inG. sulfurreducens-D. mccartyistrain BAV1 or strain FL2 cocultures. Apparently,G. lovleyiproduces a cobamide that complementsDehalococcoides' nutritional requirements, whereasG. sulfurreducensdoes not. Interestingly,Dehalococcoidesdechlorination activity and growth could be restored inG. sulfurreducens-Dehalococcoidescocultures by adding 10 μM 5′,6′-dimethylbenzimidazole. Observations made with theG. sulfurreducens-Dehalococcoidescocultures suggest that the exchange of the lower ligand generated a cobalamin, which supportedDehalococcoidesactivity. These findings have implications forin situbioremediation and suggest that the corrinoid metabolism ofDehalococcoidesmust be understood to faithfully predict, and possibly enhance, reductive dechlorination activities.

scholarly journals Characterization of Zoospore Type IV Pili inActinoplanes missouriensis

2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiro Kimura ◽  
Takeaki Tezuka ◽  
Daisuke Nakane ◽  
Takayuki Nishizaka ◽  
Shin-Ichi Aizawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Type Iv Pili ◽  
Solid Surfaces ◽  
Cellular Biology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Rare Actinomycetes ◽  
Transcriptional Units

ABSTRACTThe rare actinomyceteActinoplanes missouriensisproduces terminal sporangia containing a few hundred flagellated spores. After release from the sporangia, the spores swim rapidly in aquatic environments as zoospores. The zoospores stop swimming and begin to germinate in niches for vegetative growth. Here, we report the characterization and functional analysis of zoospore type IV pili inA. missouriensis. The pilus gene (pil) cluster, consisting of three apparently σFliA-dependent transcriptional units, is activated during sporangium formation similarly to the flagellar gene cluster, indicating that the zoospore has not only flagella but also pili. With a new method in which zoospores were fixed with glutaraldehyde to prevent pilus retraction, zoospore pili were observed relatively easily using transmission electron microscopy, showing 6 ± 3 pili per zoospore (n = 37 piliated zoospores) and a length of 0.62 ± 0.35 μm (n = 206), via observation offliC-deleted, nonflagellated zoospores. No pili were observed in the zoospores of a prepilin-encodingpilAdeletion (ΔpilA) mutant. In addition, the deletion ofpilT, which encodes an ATPase predicted to be involved in pilus retraction, substantially reduced the frequency of pilus retraction. Several adhesion experiments using wild-type and ΔpilAzoospores indicated that the zoospore pili are required for the sufficient adhesion of zoospores to hydrophobic solid surfaces. Many zoospore-forming rare actinomycetes conserve thepilcluster, which indicates that the zoospore pili yield an evolutionary benefit in the adhesion of zoospores to hydrophobic materials as footholds for germination in their mycelial growth.IMPORTANCEBacterial zoospores are interesting cells in that their physiological state changes dynamically: they are dormant in sporangia, show temporary mobility after awakening, and finally stop swimming to germinate in niches for vegetative growth. However, the cellular biology of a zoospore remains largely unknown. This study describes unprecedented zoospore type IV pili in the rare actinomyceteActinoplanes missouriensis. Similar to the case for the usual bacterial type IV pili, zoospore pili appeared to be retractable. Our findings that the zoospore pili have a functional role in the adhesion of zoospores to hydrophobic solid surfaces and that the zoospores use both pili and flagella properly according to their different purposes provide an important insight into the cellular biology of the zoospore.

scholarly journals Functional Characterization of Reductive Dehalogenases by Using Blue Native Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

2012 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 974-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuiquan Tang ◽  
Winnie W. M. Chan ◽  
Kelly E. Fletcher ◽  
Jana Seifert ◽  
Xiaoming Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Native Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Rdase Genes ◽  
Blue Native

ABSTRACTDehalococcoides mccartyistrains are obligate organohalide-respiring bacteria harboring multiple distinct reductive dehalogenase (RDase) genes within their genomes. A major challenge is to identify substrates for the enzymes encoded by these RDase genes. We demonstrate an approach that involves blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) followed by enzyme activity assays with gel slices and subsequent identification of proteins in gel slices using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RDase expression was investigated in cultures ofDehalococcoides mccartyistrain BAV1 and in the KB-1 consortium growing on chlorinated ethenes and 1,2-dichloroethane. In cultures of strain BAV1, BvcA was the only RDase detected, revealing that this enzyme catalyzes the dechlorination not only of vinyl chloride, but also of all dichloroethene isomers and 1,2-dichloroethane. In cultures of consortium KB-1, five distinctDehalococcoidesRDases and oneGeobacterRDase were expressed under the conditions tested. Three of the five RDases included orthologs to the previously identified chlorinated ethene-dechlorinating enzymes VcrA, BvcA, and TceA. This study revealed substrate promiscuity for these three enzymes and provides a path forward to further explore the largely unknown RDase protein family.

scholarly journals Defining the Mechanical Determinants of Kingella kingae Adherence to Host Cells

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad K. Kern ◽  
Eric A. Porsch ◽  
Joseph W. St. Geme
Keyword(s):  
Host Cell ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Type Iv Pili ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Initial Contact ◽  
Kingella Kingae ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Trimeric Autotransporter Adhesin

ABSTRACT Kingella kingae is an important pathogen in young children and initiates infection by colonizing the posterior pharynx. Adherence to pharyngeal epithelial cells is an important first step in the process of colonization. In the present study, we sought to elucidate the interplay of type IV pili (T4P), a trimeric autotransporter adhesin called Knh, and the polysaccharide capsule in K. kingae adherence to host cells. Using adherence assays performed under shear stress, we observed that a strain expressing only Knh was capable of higher levels of adherence than a strain expressing only T4P. Using atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we established that the capsule had a mean depth of 700 nm and that Knh was approximately 110 nm long. Using cationic ferritin capsule staining and thin-section transmission electron microscopy, we found that when bacteria expressing retractile T4P were in close contact with host cells, the capsule was absent at the point of contact between the bacterium and the host cell membrane. In a T4P retraction-deficient mutant, the capsule depth remained intact and adherence levels were markedly reduced. These results support the following model: T4P make initial contact with the host cell and mediate low-strength adherence. T4P retract, pulling the organism closer to the host cell and displacing the capsule, allowing Knh to be exposed and mediate high-strength, tight adherence to the host cell surface. This report provides the first description of the mechanical displacement of capsule enabling intimate bacterial adherence to host cells. IMPORTANCE Adherence to host cells is an important first step in bacterial colonization and pathogenicity. Kingella kingae has three surface factors that are involved in adherence: type IV pili (T4P), a trimeric autotransporter adhesin called Knh, and a polysaccharide capsule. Our results suggest that T4P mediate initial contact and low-strength adherence to host cells. T4P retraction draws the bacterium closer to the host cell and causes the displacement of capsule. This displacement exposes Knh and allows Knh to mediate high-strength adherence to the host cell. This work provides new insight into the interplay of T4P, a nonpilus adhesin, and a capsule and their effects on bacterial adherence to host cells.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequence of Dehalococcoides mccartyi Strain FL2, a Trichloroethene-Respiring Anaerobe Isolated from Pristine Freshwater Sediment

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (33) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Yan ◽  
Yi Yang ◽  
Xiuying Li ◽  
Frank E. Löffler
Keyword(s):  
Complete Genome Sequence ◽  
Reductive Dechlorination ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
Hydrogen Oxidation ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Coding Sequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenase Genes

Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain FL2 couples growth to hydrogen oxidation and reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene and cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethenes. Strain FL2 has a 1.42-Mb genome with a G+C content of 47.0% and carries 1,465 protein-coding sequences, including 24 reductive dehalogenase genes.

scholarly journals Brucella melitensis Invades Murine Erythrocytes during Infection

2014 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 3927-3938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Alice Vitry ◽  
Delphine Hanot Mambres ◽  
Michaël Deghelt ◽  
Katrin Hack ◽  
Arnaud Machelart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brucella Melitensis ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Type Iv Secretion ◽  
Type Iv Secretion System ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Iv ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Time Point

ABSTRACTBrucellaspp. are facultative intracellular Gram-negative coccobacilli responsible for brucellosis, a worldwide zoonosis. We observed thatBrucella melitensisis able to persist for several weeks in the blood of intraperitoneally infected mice and that transferred blood at any time point tested is able to induce infection in naive recipient mice. Bacterial persistence in the blood is dramatically impaired by specific antibodies induced followingBrucellavaccination. In contrast toBartonella, the type IV secretion system and flagellar expression are not critically required for the persistence ofBrucellain blood. ImageStream analysis of blood cells showed that following a brief extracellular phase,Brucellais associated mainly with the erythrocytes. Examination by confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy formally demonstrated thatB. melitensisis able to invade erythrocytesin vivo. The bacteria do not seem to multiply in erythrocytes and are found free in the cytoplasm. Our results open up new areas for investigation and should serve in the development of novel strategies for the treatment or prophylaxis of brucellosis. Invasion of erythrocytes could potentially protect the bacterial cells from the host's immune response and hamper antibiotic treatment and suggests possibleBrucellatransmission by bloodsucking insects in nature.

scholarly journals Impact of Ammonium on Syntrophic Organohalide-Respiring and Fermenting Microbial Communities

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anca G. Delgado ◽  
Devyn Fajardo-Williams ◽  
Kylie L. Kegerreis ◽  
Prathap Parameswaran ◽  
Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown
Keyword(s):  
Chlorinated Solvents ◽  
Reductive Dehalogenation ◽  
Ammonium Concentration ◽  
Organohalide Respiration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dehalococcoides Mccartyi ◽  
Metabolic Capability ◽  
Subsurface Environments ◽  
Fermentative Bacteria ◽  
High Concentrations

ABSTRACT Contamination with ammonium and chlorinated solvents has been reported in numerous subsurface environments, and these chemicals bring significant challenges for in situ bioremediation. Dehalococcoides mccartyi is able to reduce the chlorinated solvent trichloroethene to the nontoxic end product ethene. Fermentative bacteria are of central importance for organohalide respiration and bioremediation to provide D. mccartyi with H2, their electron donor, acetate, their carbon source, and other micronutrients. In this study, we found that high concentrations of ammonium negatively correlated with rates of trichloroethene reductive dehalogenation and fermentation. However, detoxification of trichloroethene to nontoxic ethene occurred even at ammonium concentrations typical of those found in animal waste (up to 2 g liter−1 NH4 +-N). To date, hundreds of subsurface environments have been bioremediated through the unique metabolic capability of D. mccartyi. These findings extend our knowledge of D. mccartyi and provide insight for bioremediation of sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents and ammonium. Syntrophic interactions between organohalide-respiring and fermentative microorganisms are critical for effective bioremediation of halogenated compounds. This work investigated the effect of ammonium concentration (up to 4 g liter−1 NH4 +-N) on trichloroethene-reducing Dehalococcoides mccartyi and Geobacteraceae in microbial communities fed lactate and methanol. We found that production of ethene by D. mccartyi occurred in mineral medium containing ≤2 g liter−1 NH4 +-N and in landfill leachate. For the partial reduction of trichloroethene (TCE) to cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) at ≥1 g liter−1 NH4 +-N, organohalide-respiring dynamics shifted from D. mccartyi and Geobacteraceae to mainly D. mccartyi. An increasing concentration of ammonium was coupled to lower metabolic rates, longer lag times, and lower gene abundances for all microbial processes studied. The methanol fermentation pathway to acetate and H2 was conserved, regardless of the ammonium concentration provided. However, lactate fermentation shifted from propionic to acetogenic at concentrations of ≥2 g liter−1 NH4 +-N. Our study findings strongly support a tolerance of D. mccartyi to high ammonium concentrations, highlighting the feasibility of organohalide respiration in ammonium-contaminated subsurface environments. IMPORTANCE Contamination with ammonium and chlorinated solvents has been reported in numerous subsurface environments, and these chemicals bring significant challenges for in situ bioremediation. Dehalococcoides mccartyi is able to reduce the chlorinated solvent trichloroethene to the nontoxic end product ethene. Fermentative bacteria are of central importance for organohalide respiration and bioremediation to provide D. mccartyi with H2, their electron donor, acetate, their carbon source, and other micronutrients. In this study, we found that high concentrations of ammonium negatively correlated with rates of trichloroethene reductive dehalogenation and fermentation. However, detoxification of trichloroethene to nontoxic ethene occurred even at ammonium concentrations typical of those found in animal waste (up to 2 g liter−1 NH4 +-N). To date, hundreds of subsurface environments have been bioremediated through the unique metabolic capability of D. mccartyi. These findings extend our knowledge of D. mccartyi and provide insight for bioremediation of sites contaminated with chlorinated solvents and ammonium.

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