Premium
Toxicity of chlorobenzenes to a lux ‐marked terrestrial bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens
Author(s) -
Boyd Elaine M.,
Meharg Andrew A.,
Wright Julian,
Killham Ken
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620171102
Subject(s) - pseudomonas fluorescens , photobacterium phosphoreum , biology , bioluminescence , toxicity , marine bacteriophage , bacteria , ec50 , microbiology and biotechnology , ceriodaphnia dubia , environmental chemistry , vibrio , pimephales promelas , bioassay , copepod , minnow , acute toxicity , chemistry , biochemistry , ecology , fishery , organic chemistry , genetics , crustacean , fish <actinopterygii> , in vitro
Insertion of lux genes, encoding for bioluminescence in naturally bioluminescent marine bacteria, into the genome of Pseudomonas fluorescens resulted in a bioluminescent strain of this terrestrial bacterium. The lux ‐marked bacterium was used to toxicity test the chlorobenzene series. By correlating chlorobenzenes 50% effective concentration (EC50) values against physiochemical parameters, the physiochemical properties of chlorobenzenes that elicit toxic responses were investigated. The results showed that the more chlorinated the compounds, the more toxic they were to lux ‐marked P. fluorescens . Furthermore, it was shown that the more symmetrical the compound, the greater its toxicity to P. fluorescens . In general, the toxicity of a chlorobenzene was inversely proportional to its solubility (S) and directly proportional to its lipophilicity ( K ow ). By correlating lux ‐marked P. fluorescens EC50 values, determined for chlorobenzenes, with toxicity values determined using Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow), Cyclotella meneghiniana (diatom), and Vibrio fischeri (marine bacterium), it was apparent that lux ‐marked P. fluorescens correlated well with freshwater species such as the diatoms and fathead minnow but not with the bioluminescent marine bacterium V. fischeri . The implications of these findings are that a terrestrial bacterium such as P. fluorescens should be used for toxicity testing of soils and freshwaters rather than the marine bacterium V. fischeri .