Abstract
To analyze the extent of mineralization of trichloroethylene (TCE) without disturbing an actively growing biofilm, a minimal growth medium was formulated that reduces the concentration of chloride ions to the extent that the chloride ions generated from TCE mineralization may be detected with a chloride-ion-specific electrode. By substituting chloride salts with phosphates and nitrates, a chloride-free minimal medium was produced that yields a specific growth rate for Pseudomonas cepacia G4 PR1 which was 93% of that in chloride-ion-containing minimal medium. Furthermore, TCE degradation by resting cell suspensions was similar in both media (85% of 75 μM TCE degraded in 6 h), and complete mineralization of TCE was slightly superior in the chloride-free minimal medium (77% compared to 60% of 75 μM TCE mineralized in 6 h). In addition, indole-containing, minimal-medium agar plates were developed to indicate the presence of the TCE-degrading enzyme toluene ortho-monooxygenase (fire-engine-red colonies) as well as to distinguish this enzyme from other TCE-degrading enzymes (toluene dioxygenase and toluene para-monooxygenase).
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Luu, P.P., Yung, C.W., Sun, A.K. et al. Monitoring trichloroethylene mineralization by Pseudomonas cepacia G4 PR1. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 44, 259–264 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164512
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164512