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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2942-2949, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2942-2949.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Methanosarcina spp. Drive Vinyl Chloride Dechlorination via Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer

Axel C. Heimann,* Damien J. Batstone,{dagger} and Rasmus Jakobsen

Institute of Environment & Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

Received 16 November 2005/ Accepted 19 January 2006

Two highly enriched cultures containing Dehalococcoides spp. were used to study the effect of aceticlastic methanogens on reductive vinyl chloride (VC) dechlorination. In terms of aceticlastic methanogens, one culture was dominated by Methanosaeta, while the other culture was dominated by Methanosarcina, as determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Cultures amended with 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES), an efficient inhibitor of methanogens, exhibited slow VC dechlorination when grown on acetate and VC. Methanogenic cultures dominated by Methanosaeta had no impact on dechlorination rates, compared to BES-amended controls. In contrast, methanogenic cultures dominated by Methanosarcina displayed up to sevenfold-higher rates of VC dechlorination than their BES-amended counterparts. Methanosarcina-dominated cultures converted a higher percentage of [2-14C]acetate to 14CO2 when concomitant VC dechlorination took place, compared to nondechlorinating controls. Respiratory indices increased from 0.12 in nondechlorinating cultures to 0.51 in actively dechlorinating cultures. During VC dechlorination, aqueous hydrogen (H2) concentrations dropped to 0.3 to 0.5 nM. However, upon complete VC consumption, H2 levels increased by a factor of 10 to 100, indicating active hydrogen production from acetate oxidation. This process was thermodynamically favorable by means of the extremely low H2 levels during dechlorination. VC degradation in nonmethanogenic cultures was not inhibited by BES but was limited by the availability of H2 as electron donor, in cultures both with and without BES. These findings all indicate that Methanosarcina (but not Methanosaeta), while cleaving acetate to methane, simultaneously oxidizes acetate to CO2 plus H2, driving hydrogenotrophic dehalorespiration of VC to ethene by Dehalococcoides.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Environment & Resources, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark. Phone: 45-4525-2172. Fax: 45-4593-2850. E-mail: axh{at}er.dtu.dk.

{dagger} Present address: AWMC—Advanced Wastewater Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4067, Australia.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2006, p. 2942-2949, Vol. 72, No. 4
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.4.2942-2949.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Yoshida, N., Ye, L., Baba, D., Katayama, A. (2009). A Novel Dehalobacter Species Is Involved in Extensive 4,5,6,7-Tetrachlorophthalide Dechlorination. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 2400-2405 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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