Use of field-based stable isotope probing to identify adapted populations and track carbon flow through a phenol-degrading soil microbial community.

ABSTRACT: The goal of this field study was to provide insight into three distinct populations of microorganisms involved in in situ metabolism of phenol. Our approach measured 13CO2 respired from [13C]phenol and stable isotope probing (SIP) of soil DNA at an agricultural field site. Traditionally, SIP-based investigations have been subject to the uncertainties posed by carbon cross-feeding. By altering our field-based, substrate-dosing methodologies, experiments were designed to look beyond primary degraders to detect trophically related populations in the food chain. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), it was shown that (13)C-labeled biomass, derived from primary phenol degraders in soil, was a suitable growth substrate for other members of the soil microbial community. Next, three

SUBMITTER: DeRito CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1317415 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature