Isolation and characterization of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene mineralizing Bordetella sp. and its bioremediation potential in soil

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2007-03, Vol.67 (5), p.896-902
• Main Authors: Wang, Fang, Grundmann, Sabine, Schmid, Michael, Dörfler, Ulrike, Roherer, Stefanie, Charles Munch, Jean, Hartmann, Anton, Jiang, Xin, Schroll, Reiner
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene; 16S-rDNA; Applied sciences; Biodegradation; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Bordetella; Bordetella - genetics; Bordetella - isolation & purification; Bordetella - metabolism; Bordetella petrii; Bordetella sp; Chlorinated benzenes; chlorinated hydrocarbons; Chlorobenzenes - metabolism; Decontamination. Miscellaneous; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; mineralization; polluted soils; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - analysis; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Microbiology; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; soil pollution
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.11.019

A soil which has been polluted with chlorinated benzenes for more than 25 years was used for isolation of adapted microorganisms able to mineralize 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (1,2,4-TCB). A microbial community was enriched from this soil and acclimated in liquid culture under aerobic conditions using 1,2,4-TCB as a sole available carbon source. From this community, two strains were isolated and identified by comparative sequence analysis of their 16S-rRNA coding genes as members of the genus Bordetella with Bordetella sp. QJ2-5 as the highest homological strain and with Bordetella petrii as the closest related described species. The 16S-rDNA of the two isolated strains showed a similarity of 100%. These strains were able to mineralize 1,2,4-TCB within two weeks to approximately 50% in liquid culture experiments. One of these strains was reinoculated to an agricultural soil with low native 1,2,4-TCB degradation capacity to investigate its bioremediation potential. The reinoculated strain kept its biodegradation capability: 14C-labeled 1,2,4-TCB applied to this inoculated soil was mineralized to about 40% within one month of incubation. This indicates a possible application of the isolated Bordetella sp. for bioremediation of 1,2,4-TCB contaminated sites.