This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bicho, P. A. Articles by Saddler, J. N. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bicho, P. A. Articles by Saddler, J. N. Agricola Articles by Bicho, P. A. Articles by Saddler, J. N.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Sep 1995, 3245-3250, Vol 61, No. 9
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Growth, induction, and substrate specificity of dehydroabietic acid- degrading bacteria isolated from a kraft mill effluent enrichment

PA Bicho, V Martin and JN Saddler
Department of Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

We investigated resin acid degradation in five bacteria isolated from a bleach kraft mill effluent enrichment. All of the bacteria grew on dehydroabietic acid (DHA), a resin acid routinely detected in pulping effluents, or glycerol as the sole carbon source. None of the strains grew on acetate or methanol. Glycerol-grown, high-density, resting-cell suspensions were found to undergo a lag for 2 to 4 h before DHA degradation commenced, suggesting that this activity was inducible. This was further investigated by spiking similar cultures with tetracycline, a protein synthesis inhibitor, at various times during the DHA disappearance curve. Cultures to which the antibiotic was added prior to the lag did not degrade DHA. Those that were spiked with the antibiotic after the lag phase (4 h) degraded DHA at the same rate as did controls with no added tetracycline. Therefore, de novo protein synthesis was required for DHA biodegradation, confirming that this activity is inducible. The five strains were also evaluated for their ability to degrade other resin acids. All strains behaved in a similar fashion. Unchlorinated abietane-type resin acids (abietic acid, DHA, and 7-oxo-DHA) were completely degraded within 7 days, whereas pimarane resin acids (sandaracopimaric acid, isopimaric acid, and pimaric acid) were poorly degraded (25% or less). Chlorination of DHA affected biodegradation, with both 12,14-dichloro-DHA and 14-chloro-DHA showing resistance to degradation. However, 50 to 60% of the 12-chloro-DHA was consumed within the same period.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Smith, D. J., Martin, V. J. J., Mohn, W. W. (2004). A Cytochrome P450 Involved in the Metabolism of Abietane Diterpenoids by Pseudomonas abietaniphila BKME-9. J. Bacteriol. 186: 3631-3639 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Martin, V. J. J., Mohn, W. W. (2000). Genetic Investigation of the Catabolic Pathway for Degradation of Abietane Diterpenoids by Pseudomonas abietaniphila BKME-9. J. Bacteriol. 182: 3784-3793 [Abstract] [Full Text]