This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by So, C. M.
Right arrow Articles by Young, L. Y.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by So, C. M.
Right arrow Articles by Young, L. Y.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by So, C. M.
Right arrow Articles by Young, L. Y.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, July 1999, p. 2969-2976, Vol. 65, No. 7
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Isolation and Characterization of a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium That Anaerobically Degrades Alkanes

Chi Ming So and L. Y. Young*

Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment and Department of Environmental Sciences, Cook College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-8520

Received 12 November 1998/Accepted 22 April 1999

An alkane-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacterial strain, AK-01, was isolated from an estuarine sediment with a history of chronic petroleum contamination. The bacterium is a short, nonmotile, non-spore-forming, gram-negative rod. It is mesophilic and grows optimally at pH 6.9 to 7.0 and at an NaCl concentration of 1%. Formate, fatty acids (C4 to C16) and hydrogen were readily utilized as electron donors. Sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate were used as electron acceptors, but sulfur, nitrite, and nitrate were not. Phenotypic characterization and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicate that AK-01 is most closely related to the genera Desulfosarcina, Desulfonema, and Desulfococcus in the delta subdivision of the class Proteobacteria. It is phenotypically and phylogenetically different from strains Hxd3 and TD3, two previously reported isolates of alkane-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacteria. The alkanes tested to support growth of AK-01 had chain lengths of C13 to C18. 1-Alkenes (C15 and C16) and 1-alkanols (C15 and C16) also supported growth. The doubling time for growth on hexadecane was 3 days, about four times longer than that for growth on hexadecanoate. Mineralization of hexadecane was indicated by the recovery of 14CO2 from cultures grown on [1-14C]hexadecane. Degradation of hexadecane was dependent on sulfate reduction. The stoichiometric ratio (as moles of sulfate reduced per mole of hexadecane degraded) was 10.6, which is very close to the theoretical ratio of 12.25, assuming a complete oxidation to CO2. Anaerobic alkane degradation by sulfate reducers may be a more widespread phenomenon than was previously thought.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, Foran Hall, Cook College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 59 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520. Phone: (732) 932-8165 ext. 312. Fax: (732) 932-0312. E-mail: lyoung{at}aesop.rutgers.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, July 1999, p. 2969-2976, Vol. 65, No. 7
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Callaghan, A. V., Tierney, M., Phelps, C. D., Young, L. Y. (2009). Anaerobic Biodegradation of n-Hexadecane by a Nitrate-Reducing Consortium. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 1339-1344 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pearson, A., Kraunz, K. S., Sessions, A. L., Dekas, A. E., Leavitt, W. D., Edwards, K. J. (2008). Quantifying Microbial Utilization of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Salt Marsh Sediments by Using the 13C Content of Bacterial rRNA. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 1157-1166 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Grossi, V., Cravo-Laureau, C., Meou, A., Raphel, D., Garzino, F., Hirschler-Rea, A. (2007). Anaerobic 1-Alkene Metabolism by the Alkane- and Alkene-Degrading Sulfate Reducer Desulfatibacillum aliphaticivorans Strain CV2803T. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 7882-7890 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ommedal, H., Torsvik, T. (2007). Desulfotignum toluenicum sp. nov., a novel toluene-degrading, sulphate-reducing bacterium isolated from an oil-reservoir model column. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57: 2865-2869 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cravo-Laureau, C., Labat, C., Joulian, C., Matheron, R., Hirschler-Rea, A. (2007). Desulfatiferula olefinivorans gen. nov., sp. nov., a long-chain n-alkene-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacterium. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57: 2699-2702 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Davidova, I. A., Duncan, K. E., Choi, O. K., Suflita, J. M. (2006). Desulfoglaeba alkanexedens gen. nov., sp. nov., an n-alkane-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacterium. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 56: 2737-2742 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Callaghan, A. V., Gieg, L. M., Kropp, K. G., Suflita, J. M., Young, L. Y. (2006). Comparison of Mechanisms of Alkane Metabolism under Sulfate-Reducing Conditions among Two Bacterial Isolates and a Bacterial Consortium.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 4274-4282 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Davidova, I. A., Gieg, L. M., Nanny, M., Kropp, K. G., Suflita, J. M. (2005). Stable Isotopic Studies of n-Alkane Metabolism by a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterial Enrichment Culture. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 8174-8182 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cravo-Laureau, C., Grossi, V., Raphel, D., Matheron, R., Hirschler-Rea, A. (2005). Anaerobic n-Alkane Metabolism by a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium, Desulfatibacillum aliphaticivorans Strain CV2803T. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 3458-3467 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Perez-Jimenez, J. R., Kerkhof, L. J. (2005). Phylogeography of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria among Disturbed Sediments, Disclosed by Analysis of the Dissimilatory Sulfite Reductase Genes (dsrAB). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 1004-1011 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cravo-Laureau, C., Matheron, R., Joulian, C., Cayol, J.-L., Hirschler-Rea, A. (2004). Desulfatibacillum alkenivorans sp. nov., a novel n-alkene-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacterium, and emended description of the genus Desulfatibacillum. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54: 1639-1642 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cravo-Laureau, C., Matheron, R., Cayol, J.-L., Joulian, C., Hirschler-Rea, A. (2004). Desulfatibacillum aliphaticivorans gen. nov., sp. nov., an n-alkane- and n-alkene-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacterium. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54: 77-83 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • So, C. M., Phelps, C. D., Young, L. Y. (2003). Anaerobic Transformation of Alkanes to Fatty Acids by a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium, Strain Hxd3. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 3892-3900 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dhillon, A., Teske, A., Dillon, J., Stahl, D. A., Sogin, M. L. (2003). Molecular Characterization of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in the Guaymas Basin. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 2765-2772 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rabus, R., Wilkes, H., Behrends, A., Armstroff, A., Fischer, T., Pierik, A. J., Widdel, F. (2001). Anaerobic Initial Reaction of n-Alkanes in a Denitrifying Bacterium: Evidence for (1-Methylpentyl)succinate as Initial Product and for Involvement of an Organic Radical in n-Hexane Metabolism. J. Bacteriol. 183: 1707-1715 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kropp, K. G., Davidova, I. A., Suflita, J. M. (2000). Anaerobic Oxidation of n-Dodecane by an Addition Reaction in a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterial Enrichment Culture. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 5393-5398 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ravenschlag, K., Sahm, K., Knoblauch, C., Jørgensen, B. B., Amann, R. (2000). Community Structure, Cellular rRNA Content, and Activity of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Marine Arctic Sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3592-3602 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Heyen, U., Harder, J. (2000). Geranic Acid Formation, an Initial Reaction of Anaerobic Monoterpene Metabolism in Denitrifying Alcaligenes defragrans. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3004-3009 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • So, C. M., Young, L. Y. (1999). Initial Reactions in Anaerobic Alkane Degradation by a Sulfate Reducer, Strain AK-01. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 5532-5540 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»