Open AccessMicroorganisms involved in anaerobic phenol degradation in the treatment of synthetic coke‐oven wastewater detected by RNA stable‐isotope probing
Author(s) -
Sueoka Kazuo,
Satoh Hiroyasu,
Onuki Motoharu,
Mino Takashi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2008.01448.x
Subject(s) - stable isotope probing , activated sludge , microorganism , denitrifying bacteria , phenol , biology , pseudomonas , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , chromatography , bacteria , food science , denitrification , sewage treatment , organic chemistry , waste management , nitrogen , genetics , engineering
An RNA‐based stable‐isotope probing method was used to identify anaerobic phenol‐assimilating bacteria present in activated sludge and used to treat synthetic coke‐oven wastewater. Activated sludge was fed with nitrate and 13 C‐labeled or unlabeled phenol under anaerobic conditions. After the incubation period, RNA was extracted from the activated sludge and separated by isopycnic centrifugation. Bacterial rRNA in each density fraction was analyzed by reverse transcription‐PCR‐mediated terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and cloning followed by sequencing. A microorganism affiliated with the genus Azoarcus was the first to obviously incorporate 13 C: this microorganism was thought to have utilized phenol directly. The microorganisms affiliated with the genera Microbulbifer, Pelagiobacter, Pseudomonas , and Thauera were the next to incorporate 13 C. Although these microorganisms were involved in phenol degradation, whether they assimilated 13 C‐labeled phenol directly or indirectly, could not be determined. Some Azoarcus and Thauera strains have previously been reported to degrade phenol under denitrifying conditions, but no strains of the other three genera have been reported to do so.