Microbial Toluene Removal in Hypoxic Model Constructed Wetlands Occurs Predominantly via the Ring Monooxygenation Pathway.

In the present study, microbial toluene degradation in controlled constructed wetland model systems, planted fixed-bed reactors (PFRs), was queried with DNA-based methods in combination with stable isotope fractionation analysis and characterization of toluene-degrading microbial isolates. Two PFR replicates were operated with toluene as the sole external carbon and electron source for 2 years. The bulk redox conditions in these systems were hypoxic to anoxic. The autochthonous bacterial communities, as analyzed by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, were mainly comprised of the families Xanthomonadaceae, Comamonadaceae, and Burkholderiaceae, plus Rhodospirillaceae in one of the PFR replicates. DNA microarray analyses of the catabolic potentials for aromatic compound degradation suggested the presence of the ring monooxygenation pathway in both systems, as well as the anaerobic toluene pathway in the PFR replicate with a high abundance of Rhodospirillaceae. The presence of catabolic genes encoding the ring monooxygenation pathway was verified by quantitative PCR analysis, utilizing the obtained toluene-degrading isolates as references. Stable isotope fractionation analysis showed low-level of carbon fractionation and only minimal hydrogen fractionation in both PFRs, which matches the fractionation signatures of monooxygenation and dioxygenation. In combination with the results of the DNA-based analyses, this suggests that toluene degradation occurs predominantly via ring monooxygenation in the PFRs.

Rhamnolipid biosurfactants decrease the toxicity of chlorinated phenols to Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E.

AIMS: To investigate the effect of a mixture of rhamnolipid R1 and R2 biosurfactants produced by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain on the toxicity of phenol and chlorophenols to Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E. METHODS AND RESULTS: Toxicity was quantified by the effective concentration 50% (EC50), that is the concentration that causes a 50% inhibition of bacterial growth. The presence of 300 mg l(-1) rhamnolipids, that is at about twice their critical micelle concentration (CMC), increased the EC50 of phenol, 4-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol by about 12, 19, 32 and 40%, respectively, and consequently reduced the bioavailability and the freely dissolved concentration of the toxic phenolic compounds. The reduction was related to the phenols' octanol-water partition coefficients (K(ow)). CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in toxicity of the phenols can be explained by a combination of toxin accumulation in biosurfactant micelles and hydrophobic interactions of the phenols with rhamnolipid-based dissolved organic carbon. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Results provide evidence that next to the effect of the micelle formation also hydrophobic interactions with rhamnolipid-based dissolved organic carbon affects the bioavailability of the phenols. Quantifying the effect of biosurfactants on the toxicity of hydrophobic compounds such as phenols thus appears to be a useful approach to assess their bioavailable equilibrium concentration.

Cis/trans isomerisation of unsaturated fatty acids in a cardiolipin synthase knock-out mutant of Pseudomonas putida P8.

The gene encoding cardiolipin synthase ( cls) from the phenol-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas putida P8, which rapidly adapts its membrane lipids to the presence of organic solvents by cis/trans isomerisation of unsaturated fatty acids, was isolated and completely sequenced. The functionality of the predicted gene product was proven by constructing a knock-out mutant that was significantly reduced in its growth rate both at elevated temperatures and in the presence of membrane-active solvents. Though the mutant showed a clear phenotype it was still able to synthesise trace amounts of cardiolipin. As an increase in cardiolipin (diphosphatidylglycerol) content is known to function as a long term membrane adaptation mechanism in pseudomonads, we tested whether the mutant compensates for the lack of the Cls by increased cis/trans isomerisation of unsaturated fatty acids. Increase in cis/trans isomerisation of unsaturated fatty acids was observed for the mutant at zero and low concentrations of 4-chlorophenol; however, cis/trans isomerisation is not able to fully compensate for the lack of cardiolipin production. Possibly, other long-term adaptation mechanisms are instrumental in compensating for the missing cardiolipin synthesis. As the cis/trans isomerase is activated similarly in the mutant and the wildtype, cis/trans isomerisation and cardiolipin production do not display mutual dependency.

Determination of the toxicity of several aromatic carbonylic compounds and their reduced derivatives on Phanerochaete chrysosporium using a Pseudomonas putida test system.

We tested four aromatic carbonylic compounds and their corresponding reduced derivatives, possible substrates, and products of a biotransformation for toxicity against the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The bacterium Pseudomonas putida, which has been proven to be a good test organism for investigating toxic effects, was used as a primary screen. For both P. chrysosporium and P. putida, all ketones showed a higher toxicity than their corresponding alcohol derivatives. Within one chemical group a direct correlation between the hydrophobicity (logP values) of the compounds and their toxicity could be observed. Furthermore, all tested compounds also caused an isomerization of cis to trans unsaturated fatty acids in P. putida, a mechanism of this bacterium to adapt its membrane to toxic environmental influences. Toxicity of aromatic carbonylic compounds in an established biotransformation system with P. chrysosporium can be estimated by calculating the corresponding logP values of the substrates and potential products. P. putida can be used to test the toxicity of aromatic ketones to the basic diomycete P. chrysosporium.

Regiospecific effect of 1-octanol on cis-trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids in the solvent-tolerant strain Pseudomonas putida S12.

The solvent-tolerant bacterium Pseudomonas putida S12, which adapts its membrane lipids to the presence of toxic solvents by a cis to trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids, was used to study possible in vivo regiospecificity of the isomerase. Cells were supplemented with linoleic acid (C18:2delta9-cis,delta12-cis), a fatty acid that cannot be synthesized by this bacterium, but which was incorporated into membrane lipids up to an amount of 15% of total fatty acids. After addition of 1-octanol, which was used as an activator of the cis-trans isomerase, the linoleic acid was converted into the delta9-trans,delta12-cis isomer, while the delta9-cis,delta12-trans and delta9-trans,epsilon12-trans isomers were not synthesized. Thus, for the first time, regiospecific in vivo formation of novel, mixed cis/trans isomers of dienoic fatty acid chains was observed. The maximal conversion (27-36% of the chains) was obtained at 0.03-0.04% (v/v) octanol, after 2 h. The observed regiospecificity of the enzyme, which is located in the periplasmic space, could be due to penetration of the enzyme to a specific depth in the membrane as well as to specific molecular recognition of the substrate molecules.

Modulation of the glutathione S-transferase in Ochrobactrum anthropi: function of xenobiotic substrates and other forms of stress.

The gluthathione S-transferase gene of the atrazine-degrading bacterium Ochrobactrum anthropi (OaGST) encodes a single-subunit polypeptide of 201 amino acid residues (Favaloro et al. 1998, Biochem. J. 335, 573-579). RNA blot analysis showed that the gene is transcribed into an mRNA of about 800 nucleotides, indicating a monocistronic transcription of the OaGST gene. The modulation of OaGST in this bacterium, in the presence of different stimulants, was investigated. The level of expression of OaGST was detected both by measuring the mRNA level and by immunoblotting experiments. OaGST is a constitutive enzyme which is also inducible by several stimulants. In fact, atrazine caused an increase in the expression of OaGST even at concentrations which had no effect on growth rates of the bacteria. Moreover, the presence of other aromatic substrates of this bacterium, such as phenol and chlorophenols, leads to a marked enhancement in OaGST expression. In this case, the expression of OaGST was related to growth inhibition and membrane damage caused by these hydrophobic compounds, and to the adaptive responses of the cell membranes. On the other hand, toluene and xylene, two aromatic compounds not degradable by this bacterium, did not induce the OaGST expression. The same was observed for other stress conditions such as low pH, heat shock, hydrogen peroxide, osmotic stress, starvation, the presence of aliphatic alcohols or heavy metals. These results suggest a co-regulation of the OaGST gene by the catabolic pathways of phenols and chlorophenols in this bacterium. Therefore, OaGST could function as a detoxifying agent within the catabolism of these xenobiotics.

Ethanol tolerance and membrane fatty acid adaptation in adh multiple and null mutants of Kluyveromyces lactis.

The effects of ethanol and 1-octanol on growth and fatty acid composition of different strains of Kluyveromyces lactis containing a mutation in the four different alcohol dehydrogenase (KlADH) genes were investigated. In the presence of ethanol and 1-octanol K. lactis reduced the fluidity of its lipids by decreasing the unsaturation index (UI) of its membrane fatty acids. In this way, a direct correlation between nonlethal ethanol concentrations and the decrease in the UI could be observed. At concentrations which totally inhibited cell growth no reaction occurred. These adaptive modifications of the fatty acid pattern of K. lactis to ethanol contrasted with those reported for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Whereas these two yeasts increased the fluidity of their membrane lipids in the presence of ethanol, K. lactis reduced the fluidity (UI) of its lipids. Among the different isogenic adh negative strains tested, the strain containing no ADH (adh0) and that containing only KlADH1 were the most alcohol-sensitive. The strain with only KlADH2 showed nearly the same tolerance as reference strain CBS 2359/152 containing all four ADH genes. This suggests that the KlADH2 product could play an important role in the adaptation/detoxification reactions of K. lactis to high ethanol concentrations.

Mannitol, a novel bacterial compatible solute in Pseudomonas putida S12.

The aim of this study was to identify the compatible solutes accumulated by Pseudomonas putida S12 subjected to osmotic stress. In response to reduced water activity, P. putida S12 accumulated Nalpha-acetylglutaminylglutamine amide (NAGGN) simultaneously with a novel compatible solute identified as mannitol (using 13C- and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography methods) to maximum concentrations of 74 and 258 micromol g (dry weight) of cells(-1), respectively. The intracellular amounts of each solute varied with both the type and amount of osmolyte applied to induce osmotic stress in the medium. Both solutes were synthesized de novo. Addition of betaine to the medium resulted in accumulation of this compound and depletion of both NAGGN and mannitol. Mannitol and NAGGN were accumulated when sucrose instead of salts was used to reduce the medium water activity. Furthermore, both compatible solutes were accumulated when glucose was substituted by other carbon sources. However, the intracellular quantities of mannitol decreased when fructose, succinate, or lactate were applied as a carbon source. Mannitol was also raised to high intracellular concentrations by other salt-stressed Pseudomonas putida strains. This is the first study demonstrating a principal role for the de novo-synthesized polyol mannitol in osmoadaptation of a heterotrophic eubacterium.

Effect of Environmental Factors on the trans/cis Ratio of Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Pseudomonas putida S12.

The membrane reactions of Pseudomonas putida S12 to environmental stress were investigated. Cells reacted to the addition of six different heavy metals with an increase in the ratio of trans to cis unsaturated fatty acids. A correlation among the increase in the trans/cis ratio, the toxic effects of the heavy metals, and nonspecific permeabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane, as indicated by an efflux of potassium ions, was measured. Cells previously adapted to toxic concentrations of toluene exhibited increased tolerance to all applied concentrations of zinc compared with nonadapted cells. Cells exposed to different temperatures grew optimally at 30(deg)C. The degree of saturation of the membrane fatty acids of these cells decreased with decreasing temperature. An increase in the trans/cis ratio of unsaturated fatty acids took place only at higher temperatures. Osmotic stress, expressed as reduced water activity, was obtained by using different types of solutes. Only in the presence of toxic concentrations of sodium chloride or sucrose did the trans/cis ratio increase. At no applied water activity a significant effect of glycerol on the trans/cis ratio was measured. When cells were exposed to different pHs, a distinct optimum cis/trans isomerase activity was measured at pHs between 4.0 and 5.0, whereas at higher or lower pHs no reaction occurred. This optimum coincided with a loss of viability between pH 4 and 5.

Trans unsaturated fatty acids in bacteria.

The occurrence of trans unsaturated fatty acids as by-products of fatty acid transformations carried out by the obligate anaerobic ruminal microflora has been well known for a long time. In recent years, fatty acids with trans configurations also have been detected in the membrane lipids of various aerobic bacteria. Besides several psychrophilic organisms, bacteria-degrading pollutants, such as Pseudomonas putida, are able to synthesize these compounds de novo. In contrast to the trans fatty acids formed by rumen bacteria, the membrane constituents of aerobic bacteria are synthesized by a direct isomerization of the complementary cis configuration of the double bond without a shift of the position. This system of isomerization is located in the cytoplasmic membrane. The conversion of cis unsaturated fatty acids to trans changes the membrane fluidity in response to environmental stimuli, particularly where growth is inhibited due to the presence of high concentrations of toxic substances. Under these conditions, lipid synthesis also stops so that the cells are not able to modify their membrane fluidity by any other mechanism.

Adaptation of Pseudomonas putida S12 to ethanol and toluene at the level of fatty acid composition of membranes.

Pseudomonas putida S12 was more tolerant to ethanol when preadapted to supersaturating concentrations of toluene. Cellular reactions at the membrane level to the toxicities of both compounds were different. In growing cells of P. putida S12, sublethal concentrations of toluene resulted in an increase in the degree of saturation of the membrane fatty acids, whereas toxically equivalent concentrations of ethanol led to a decrease in this value. Contrary to this, cells also reacted to both substances with a strong increase of the trans unsaturated fatty acids and a corresponding decrease of the cis unsaturated fatty acids under conditions where growth and other cellular membrane reactions were totally inhibited. While the isomerization of cis to trans unsaturated fatty acids compensates for the fluidizing effect caused by ethanol, a decrease in the degree of saturation is antagonistic with respect to the chemo-physical properties of the membrane. Consequently, the results support the hypothesis that the decrease in the degree of saturation induced by ethanol is not an adaptation mechanism but is caused by an inhibitory effect of the compound on the biosynthesis of saturated fatty acids.

Conversion of cis unsaturated fatty acids to trans, a possible mechanism for the protection of phenol-degrading Pseudomonas putida P8 from substrate toxicity.

A trans unsaturated fatty acid was found as a major constituent in the lipids of Pseudomonas putida P8. The fatty acid was identified as 9-trans-hexadecenoic acid by gas chromatography, argentation thin-layer chromatography, and infrared absorption spectrometry. Growing cells of P. putida P8 reacted to the presence of sublethal concentrations of phenol in the medium with changes in the fatty acid composition of the lipids, thereby increasing the degree of saturation. At phenol concentrations which completely inhibited the growth of P. putida, the cells were still able to increase the content of the trans unsaturated fatty acid and simultaneously to decrease the proportion of the corresponding 9-cis-hexadecenoic acid. This conversion of fatty acids was also induced by 4-chlorophenol in nongrowing cells in which the de novo synthesis of lipids had stopped, as shown by incorporation experiments with labeled acetate. The isomerization of the double bond in the presence of chloramphenicol indicates a constitutively operating enzyme system. The cis-to-trans modification of the fatty acids studied here apparently is a new way of adapting the membrane fluidity to the presence of phenols, thereby compensating for the elevation of membrane permeability induced by these toxic substances.

Influence of phenols on growth and membrane permeability of free and immobilized Escherichia coli.

The inhibition of the exponential growth of Escherichia coli K-12 by different phenolic compounds was examined. Cells entrapped in calcium alginate showed a greater tolerance than cells grown in suspension. The extent of inhibition of growth of the immobilized cells depended on the period of growth in the gel matrix. After the addition of bacteriostatic concentrations of phenol or 4-chlorophenol, a dose-dependent efflux of metabolites such as ATP and of K+ ions was elicited. Provided that glucose was supplied as an energy substrate, a reaccumulation of K+ ions at low phenol concentrations was observed. The restoration of the membrane gradient for K+ always preceded the continuation of growth in the presence of the toxic compounds. Compared with free cells, those cells immobilized and grown in alginate suffered a smaller loss of cations after the addition of 4-chlorophenol. The reestablishment of gradients was observed at higher concentrations of the pollutants with entrapped cells than with free cells. Corresponding to the increase in tolerance, the membrane damage was reduced in cells grown in immobilized form for longer times. These data offer a mechanistic explanation of the protection of immobilized microorganisms from phenolic solvents. The data point to the membrane as an important cell component in the toxicity of these pollutants.