Induction of PCB degradative pathway by plant terpenoids as growth substrates or inducers

  • Jeong, Gyeong-Ja (Division of Civil and Environmental Engineering Korea Maritime University) ;
  • Kim, Eung-Bin (Dept. of Biology, Yonsei University) ;
  • So, Jae-Seong (Dept. of Biological Engineering, Inha University) ;
  • Go, Seong-Cheol (Division of Civil and Environmental Engineering Korea Maritime University)
  • Published : 2000.11.09

Abstract

The eventual goal of this study is to elucidate roles of plant terpenoids (e.g., cymene, limonene and others) as natural substrates in the cometabolic biodegradation of PCBs and to develop an effective PCB bioremediation technology. The aim of this study was to examine how plant terpenoids, as natural substrates or inducers would affect the biodegradation of PCB congeners. Various PCB degraders that could grow on biphenyl and several terpenoids were tested for their PCB degradation capabilities. The PCB congener degradation activities were first monitored through resting cell assay technique that could detect degradation products of the substrate. The congener removal was also confirmed by concommitant GC analysis. The PCB degraders, Pseudononas sp. P166 and Caynebacterium sp. T104 were found to grow on both biphenyl and terpenoids ((S)-(-) limonene, p-cymene and ${\alpha}-terpinene$) whereas Arthrobacter B1B could not grow on the terpenoids as a sole carbon source. The strain B1B grown on biphenyl showed a good degradation activity for 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl (DCBp) while strains P166 and T104 gave about 25% of B1B activity. Induction of degradation by cymene, limonene and terpine was hardly detected by the resting cell assay technique. This appeared to be due to relatively lower induction effect of these terpenoids compared with biphenyl. However, a subsequent GC analysis showed that the congener could be removed up to 30% by the resting cells of T104 grown on the terpenoids. This indicates that terpenoids, widely distributed in nature, could be utilized as both growth and/or inducer substrate for PCB biodegradation.

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