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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2002, p. 4425-4430, Vol. 68, No. 9
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.9.4425-4430.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Environmental Factors That Control Microbial Perchlorate Reduction

Swades K. Chaudhuri, Susan M. O'Connor, Ruth L. Gustavson, Laurie A. Achenbach, and John D. Coates*

Department of Microbiology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901

Received 11 April 2002/ Accepted 27 June 2002

As part of a study to elucidate the environmental parameters that control microbial perchlorate respiration, we investigated the reduction of perchlorate by the dissimilatory perchlorate reducer Dechlorosoma suillum under a diverse set of environmental conditions. Our results demonstrated that perchlorate reduction by D. suillum only occurred under anaerobic conditions in the presence of perchlorate and was dependent on the presence of molybdenum. Perchlorate reduction was dependent on the presence of the enzyme chlorite dismutase, which was induced during metabolism of perchlorate. Anaerobic conditions alone were not enough to induce expression of this enzyme. Dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 2 mg liter-1 were enough to inhibit perchlorate reduction by D. suillum. Similarly to oxygen, nitrate also regulated chlorite dismutase expression and repressed perchlorate reduction by D. suillum. Perchlorate-grown cultures of D. suillum preferentially reduced nitrate in media with equimolar amounts of perchlorate and nitrate. In contrast, an extended (40 h) lag phase was observed if a similar nitrate-perchlorate medium was inoculated with a nitrate-grown culture. Perchlorate reduction commenced only when nitrate was completely removed in either of these experiments. In contrast to D. suillum, nitrate had no inhibitory effects on perchlorate reduction by the perchlorate reducer Dechloromonas agitata strain CKB. Nitrate was reduced to nitrite concomitant with perchlorate reduction to chloride. These studies demonstrate that microbial respiration of perchlorate is significantly affected by environmental conditions and perchlorate reduction is directly dependent on bioavailable molybdenum and the presence or absence of competing electron acceptors. A microbial treatment strategy can achieve and maintain perchlorate concentrations below the recommended regulatory level, but only in environments in which the variables described above can be controlled.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Southern Illinois University, Life Science II, Room 131, Mail code 6508, Carbondale, IL 62901. Phone: (618) 453-6132. Fax: (618) 453-8036. E-mail: jcoates{at}micro.siu.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2002, p. 4425-4430, Vol. 68, No. 9
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.9.4425-4430.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Bender, K. S., Shang, C., Chakraborty, R., Belchik, S. M., Coates, J. D., Achenbach, L. A. (2005). Identification, Characterization, and Classification of Genes Encoding Perchlorate Reductase. J. Bacteriol. 187: 5090-5096 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nozawa-Inoue, M., Scow, K. M., Rolston, D. E. (2005). Reduction of Perchlorate and Nitrate by Microbial Communities in Vadose Soil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 3928-3934 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Coleman, M. L., Ader, M., Chaudhuri, S., Coates, J. D. (2003). Microbial Isotopic Fractionation of Perchlorate Chlorine. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 4997-5000 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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