1. Identification and characterization of o-xylene-degrading Rhodococcus spp. which were dominant species in the remediation of o-xylene-contaminated soils.
- Author
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Taki H, Syutsubo K, Mattison RG, and Harayama S
- Subjects
- Base Sequence, Biodegradation, Environmental, DNA Gyrase genetics, DNA, Bacterial genetics, DNA, Bacterial isolation & purification, DNA, Ribosomal genetics, DNA, Ribosomal isolation & purification, Genes, Bacterial, Hydrocarbons, Aromatic metabolism, Molecular Sequence Data, Phylogeny, Rhodococcus classification, Rhodococcus genetics, Rhodococcus isolation & purification, Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid, Rhodococcus metabolism, Soil Microbiology, Soil Pollutants metabolism, Xylenes metabolism
- Abstract
Soils contaminated with o-xylene were more difficult to bioremediate than those contaminated with other BTEX hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene and p-xylene). In order to identify microorganisms responsible for o-xylene degradation in soil, microbial community structure analyses were carried out with two soil samples in the presence of o-xylene and mineral nutrients. In two different soil samples, Rhodococcus opacus became abundant. We were also able to isolate o-xylene degrading Rhodococcus species from these soil samples. A primer set was developed to specifically detect a cluster of this Rhodococcus group including isolated Rhodococcus strains, Rhodococcus opacus and Rhodococcus koreensis. The growth of this bacterial group in an o-xylene-contaminated soil was followed by competitive PCR (cPCR). The decrease in o-xylene clearly paralleled the growth of the Rhodococcus group.
- Published
- 2007
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