Microbial reductive dechlorination of aroclor 1260 in Baltimore harbor sediment microcosms is catalyzed by three phylotypes within the phylum Chloroflexi.

ABSTRACT: The specific dechlorination pathways for Aroclor 1260 were determined in Baltimore Harbor sediment microcosms developed with the 11 most predominant congeners from this commercial mixture and their resulting dechlorination intermediates. Most of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were dechlorinated in the meta position, and the major products were tetrachlorobiphenyls with unflanked chlorines. Using PCR primers specific for the 16S rRNA genes of known PCB-dehalogenating bacteria, we detected three phylotypes within the microbial community that had the capability to dechlorinate PCB congeners present in Aroclor 1260 and identified their selective activities. Phylotype DEH10, which has a high level of sequence identity to Dehalococcoides spp., removed the double-flanked chlorine in

SUBMITTER: Fagervold SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1892865 | biostudies-literature | 2007 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature