Tracking functional guilds: "Dehalococcoides" spp. in European river basins contaminated with hexachlorobenzene.

ABSTRACT: Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) has been widely used in chemical manufacturing processes and as a pesticide. Due to its resistance to biological degradation, HCB has mainly accumulated in freshwater bodies and agricultural soils. "Dehalococcoides" spp., anaerobic dechlorinating bacteria that are capable of degrading HCB, were previously isolated from river sediments. Yet there is limited knowledge about the abundance, diversity, and activity of this genus in the environment. This study focused on the molecular analysis of the composition and abundance of active Dehalococcoides spp. in HCB-contaminated European river basins. 16S rRNA-based real-time quantitative PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis in combination with multivariate statistics were applied. Moreover, a functional gene arra

SUBMITTER: Tas N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2708439 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature