Comparative assessments of benzene, toluene, and xylene natural attenuation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of a catabolic gene, signature metabolites, and compound-specific isotope analysis

A controlled-release study conducted at Vandenberg Air Force Base involved the injection of anaerobic groundwater amended with benzene, toluene, and o-xylene (BToX; 1-3 mg/L each) in two parallel lanes: lane A injectate contained no ethanol, whereas lane B injectate contained approximately 500 mg/L ethanol. As reported previously by Mackay and co-workers, ethanol led to slower BToX disappearance in lane B. Here, we report on assessments of BToX natural attenuation by three independent and specific monitoring approaches: signature metabolites diagnostic of anaerobic TX metabolism (benzysuccinates), compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis of a catabolic gene involved in anaerobic TX degradation (bssA). In combination, the three monitoring methods provided strong evidence of in situ TX biodegradation in both lanes A and B; however, no single method provided strong evidence for TX biodegradation in both lanes. Benzylsuccinates were detected almost exclusively in lane B, where slower TX degradation and higher residual TX concentrations led to higher metabolite concentrations. In contrast, CSIA provided evidence of TX biodegradation almost exclusively in lane A, as greater degradation rates led to more pronounced isotopic enrichment. qPCR analyses of bssA were more complex. Evidence of increases in bssA copy number (up to 200-fold) after the release started was stronger in lane A, but higher absolute bssA copy number (and bacterial abundance, based on 16S rRNA genes) was observed in lane B, where bacteria genetically capable of anaerobic TX degradation may have been growing primarily on ethanol or its metabolites rather than TX.     

Dual biomarkers of anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation in historically contaminated groundwater

This study reports that ongoing in situ anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation at a manufactured gas plant impacted site is occurring, 9 years after the initial investigation. Groundwater samples from the site monitoring wells (MW) were analyzed for biomarkers by GC-MS, end-point PCR, and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Metabolic biomarkers included specific intermediates of anaerobic naphthalene and/or 2-methylnaphthalene degradation: 2-naphthoic acid (2-NA); 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-NA (TH-2-NA); hexahydro-2-NA (HH-2-NA); and carboxylated-2-methylnaphthalene (MNA). The analogues of gene bssA, encoding alpha subunit of enzyme benzylsuccinate synthase, were used as a genetic biomarker. Results indicate 1-2 orders of magnitude higher abundance of total bacteria in the impacted wells than in the unimpacted wells. End-point PCR analysis of bssA gene, with degenerate primers, indicated the presence of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria within the plume. In qPCR analysis, using primers based on toluene-degrading denitrifying or sulfate-reducing/methanogenic bacteria, bssA genes were detected only in MW-24, located downstream from the source. Metabolic biomarkers were detected in multiple wells. The highest abundance of 2-NA (6.7 μg/L), TH-2-NA (2.6 μg/L), HH-2-NA, and MNA was also detected in MW-24. The distribution of two independent biomarkers indicates that the site is enriched for anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation and provides strong evidence in support of natural attenuation.     

转基因水稻潮霉素标记基因PCR检测方法的建立及其在基因水平转移研究中的应用

为建立用于基因水平转移研究, 尤其是DNA经加工和消化后稳定性研究的针对转基因水稻潮霉素标记基因hpt（hygromycin phosphotransferase）的定性和实时定量PCR体系,设计针对hpt的上游通用引物多个片段定性PCR扩增体系,以植物叶绿体基因rbcl为内对照,PCR扩增产物经测序验证.将定性PCR中最小片段（236 bp）连接到质粒载体pUC18-pMD T载体上,提取质粒经验证后做外标.应用TaqMan-MGB荧光探针和引物,建立定量的外标校正曲线法,并评价方法的精密度.建立的定性PCR体系能稳定扩增出236 bp～910 bp不同大小的5个hpt片段,并经测序验证.实时定量PCR的线性范围为105～10拷贝（R^2=0.998）,最低能检出10拷贝,重复性好.本研究已成功建立了用于转基因水稻标记基因hpt基因水平转移研究的定性和定量PCR系统。     

BTEX plume dynamics following an ethanol blend release: geochemical footprint and thermodynamic constraints on natural attenuation

In this 10 year study, Brazilian gasoline (100 L, containing 24% ethanol by volume) was released to a sandy aquifer to evaluate the natural attenuation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes (BTEX) in the presence of ethanol. Groundwater concentrations of BTEX, ethanol, and degradation products (e.g., acetate and methane) were measured over the entire plume using an array of monitoring well clusters, to quantify changes in plume mass and region of influence. Ethanol biodegradation coincided with the development of methanogenic conditions while acetate (a common anaerobic metabolite) accumulated. The benzene plume expanded beyond the 30 m long monitored area and began to recede after 2.7 years, when ethanol had disappeared. Theoretical calculations suggest that the transient accumulation of acetate (up to 166 mg L(-1)) may have hindered the thermodynamic feasibility of benzene degradation under methanogenic conditions. Yet, benzene removal proceeded relatively fast compared to literature values (and faster than the alkylbenzenes present at this site) after acetate concentrations had decreased below inhibitory levels. Thus, site investigations of ethanol blend releases should consider monitoring acetate concentrations. Overall, this study shows that inhibitory effects of ethanol and acetate are relatively short-lived, and demonstrates that monitored natural attenuation can be a viable option to deal with ethanol blend releases.     

Degradative capacities and bioaugmentation potential of an anaerobic benzene-degrading bacterium strain DN11

Azoarcus sp. strain DN11 is a denitrifying bacterium capable of benzene degradation under anaerobic conditions. The present study evaluated strain DN11 for its application to bioaugmentation of benzene-contaminated underground aquifers. Strain DN11 could grow on benzene, toluene, m-xylene, and benzoate as the sole carbon and energy sources under nitrate-reducing conditions, although o- and p-xylenes were transformed in the presence of toluene. Phenol was not utilized under anaerobic conditions. Kinetic analysis of anaerobic benzene degradation estimated its apparent affinity and inhibition constants to be 0.82 and 11 microM, respectively. Benzene-contaminated groundwater taken from a former coal-distillation plant site was anaerobically incubated in laboratory bottles and supplemented with either inorganic nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and nitrate) alone, or the nutrients plus strain DN11, showing that benzene was significantly degraded only when DN11 was introduced. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments, and quantitative PCR revealed that DN11 decreased after benzene was degraded. Following the decrease in DN11 16S rRNA gene fragments corresponding to bacteria related to Owenweeksia hongkongensis and Pelotomaculum isophthalicum, appeared as strong bands, suggesting possible metabolic interactions in anaerobic benzene degradation. Results suggest that DN11 is potentially useful for degrading benzene that contaminates underground aquifers at relatively low concentrations.     

Substrate interactions in BTEX and MTBE mixtures by an MTBE-degrading isolate

Groundwater contaminant plumes from recent accidental gasoline releases often contain the fuel oxygenate MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) together with BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene) compounds. This study evaluates substrate interactions during the aerobic biotransformation of MTBE and BTEX mixtures by a pure culture, PM1, capable of utilizing MTBE for growth. PM1 was unable to degrade ethylbenzene and two of the xylene isomers at concentrations of 20 mg/L following culture growth on MTBE. In addition, the presence of 20 mg/L of ethylbenzene or the xylenes in mixtures with MTBE completely inhibited MTBE degradation. When MTBE-grown cells of PM1 were exposed to MTBE/benzene and MTBE/toluene mixtures, MTBE degradation proceeded, while the degradation of benzene and toluene was delayed for several hours. Following this initial lag, benzene and toluene were degraded rapidly, while the rate of MTBE degradation slowed significantly. MTBE degradation did not increase to previous rates until benzene and toluene were almost entirely degraded. The lag in benzene and toluene degradation was presumably due to the induction of the enzymes necessary for BTEX degradation. Once these enzymes were induced, sequential additions of benzene or toluene were degraded rapidly, and growth on benzene and toluene was observed. The results of this study suggest that BTEX and MTBE degradation occurs primarily via two independent and inducible pathways. If subsurface microbial communities behave similarly to the culture used in this study, the observed severe inhibition of MTBE degradation by ethylbenzene and the xylenes and the partial inhibition by benzene and toluene suggest thatthe biodegradation of MTBE in subsurface environments would most likely be delayed until MTBE has migrated beyond the BTEX plume.     

A construct-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR detection method of transgenic maize BVLA430101

Transgenic phytase maize (Zea mays L.) line BVLA430101 was the first transgenic maize obtained the security certification in 2009 in China. However, the construct of the phytase gene expression cassette and the specific detection method have not been reported yet. In this study, the phytase gene expression cassette was identified, which include maize legumin promoter, signal peptide, phytase gene, and maize legumin terminator. The construct-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR methods of BVLA430101 maize were established based on the transition of signal peptide and phytase gene using a maize taxon-specific gene zSSIIb as the endogenous gene. The detection limit for the conventional qualitative PCR was 200 haploid genome copies of BVLA430101. The absolute limit of quantification of the real-time PCR was about 20 haploid genome copies. In addition, two known BVLA430101 contents (5 and 1%) of mixed genomic DNA (V/V) were quantified using the developed real-time PCR detection system, which indicated that the developed quantitative method can be employed reliably for transgenic phytase maize BVLA430101 measurement.     

Development of a quantitative real-time PCR method to enumerate total bacterial counts in ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables

A newly developed real-time PCR assay rapidly quantifies the total bacterial numbers in contaminated ready-to-eat vegetables and fruits compared with the standard plate count method. Primers targeting the rpoB gene, which encodes for the beta subunit of the bacterial RNA polymerase and which is common to most bacterial species, was used instead of the 16S rRNA gene, which has multiple copies and varies among bacterial species. A primer pair specific for rpoB was confirmed to amplify rpoB in a wide range of bacterial species after we assessed 49 strains isolated from five kinds of fruits and vegetables. We purchased fruits and vegetables from retail shops and enumerated the bacteria associated with them by use of real-time PCR and compared this to the number found by the culture method. We found a high correlation between the threshold PCR cycle number when compared with the plate count culture number. The real-time PCR assay developed in this study can enumerate the dominant bacterial species in ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables.     

A quantitative PCR assay for aerobic, vinyl chloride- and ethene-assimilating microorganisms in groundwater

Vinyl chloride (VC) is a known human carcinogen that is primarily formed in groundwater via incomplete anaerobic dechlorination of chloroethenes. Aerobic, ethene-degrading bacteria (etheneotrophs), which are capable of both fortuitous and growth-linked VC oxidation, could be important in natural attenuation of VC plumes that escape anaerobic treatment. In this work, we developed a quantitative, real-time PCR (qPCR) assay for etheneotrophs in groundwater. We designed and tested degenerate qPCR primers for two functional genes involved in aerobic, growth-coupled VC- and ethene-oxidation (etnC and etnE). Primer specificity to these target genes was tested by comparison to nucleotide sequence databases, PCR analysis of template DNA extracted from isolates and environmental samples, and sequencing of qPCR products obtained from VC-contaminated groundwater. The assay was made quantitative by constructing standard curves (threshold cycle vs log gene copy number) with DNA amplified from Mycobacterium strain JS60, an etheneotrophic isolate. Analysis of groundwater samples from three different VC-contaminated sites revealed that etnC abundance ranged from 1.6 × 10(3) - 1.0 × 10(5) copies/L groundwater while etnE abundance ranged from 4.3 × 10(3) - 6.3 × 10(5) copies/L groundwater. Our data suggest this novel environmental measurement method will be useful for supporting VC bioremediation strategies, assisting in site closure, and conducting microbial ecology studies involving etheneotrophs.     

Sulfur and oxygen isotope fractionation during benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene degradation by sulfate-reducing bacteria

We examined the oxygen and sulfur isotope fractionation of sulfate during anaerobic degradation of toluene by sulfate-reducing bacteria in culture experiments with Desulfobacula toluolica as a type strain and with an enrichment culture Zz5-7 obtained from a benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)-contaminated aquifer. Sulfur isotope fractionation can show considerable variation upon sulfate reduction and may react extremely sensitively to changes in environmental conditions. In contrast, oxygen isotope fractionation seems to be less sensitive to environmental changes. Our results clearly indicate that oxygen isotope fractionation is dominated by isotope exchange with ambient water. To verify our experimental results and to test the applicability of oxygen and sulfur isotope investigations under realistic field conditions, we evaluated isotope data from two BTEX-contaminated aquifers presented in the recent literature. On a field scale, bacterial sulfate reduction may be superimposed by processes such as dispersion, adsorption, reoxidation, or mixing. The dual isotope approach enables the identification of such sulfur transformation processes. This identification is vital for a general qualitative evaluation of the natural attenuation potential of the contaminated aquifer.     

In situ transformation of deuterated toluene and xylene to benzylsuccinic acid analogues in BTEX-contaminated aquifers

Techniques for detecting and quantifying anaerobic transformations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) are needed to assess the feasibility of using in situ bioremediation to treat BTEX-contaminated groundwater aquifers. Deuterated surrogates of toluene (toluene-d8) and xylene (o-xylene-d10) were injected into BTEX-contaminated aquifers during single-well push-pull tests to monitor for the in situ formation of deuterated benzylsuccinic acid (BSA-d8) and o-methyl-BSA-d10. Test solutions (250 L) containing toluene-d8 (9-22 microM) and o-xylene-d10 (4-9 microM) along with a conservative bromide tracer (1.3 mM) and nitrate (4 mM) as an electron acceptor were injected into four wells at two sites. Detection of BSA-d8 and o-methyl-BSA-d10 in groundwater samples collected from the same wells following injection unequivocally demonstrated anaerobic in situ toluene-d8 and o-xylene-d10 transformation with calculated zero-order formation rates ranging from 1.0 to 7.4 nM/day. Concurrent utilization of co-injected nitrate was rapid in all tests at both sites, with zero-order rates ranging from 13 to 39 microM/h. The field tests conducted in this study represent the first reported use of deuterated aromatic hydrocarbons to detect and quantify anaerobic BTEX transformation product formation in the subsurface.     

Real-Time PCR Quantification of Protease-Producing Bacteria in Traditional Chinese Fish Sauce

This study aims to isolate, identify, and quantify protease-producing bacteria in traditional Chinese fish sauce. Fifty-five protease-producing bacteria were isolated from 10 fermented fish sauce samples in five growth media based on their morphology and caseinolytic activity. These isolates were identified through their 16S rDNA gene sequences. BLAST analysis of 16S rDNA sequences revealed that 46 and 9 strains belonged to Bacillus sp. and Virgibacillus halodenitrificans, respectively. We used EvaGreen dye in real-time PCR assay to target the partial bacterial 16S rDNA gene sequences of the 55 strains from fish sauce. Two primer pairs (A and B) were designed. Primer pair B was more suitable than primer pair A for real-time PCR assay, in which the optimum annealing temperature was 60 °C. The significance of the developed method was proven by the highly linear characteristic of the standard curve that relates lower threshold cycle (Ct) values and 16S rDNA copy numbers of the standard DNA sample. This method was used to calculate the number of protease-producing bacteria in fish sauce. The minimum level of detection (1.44?×?10³ copies/μL) was also verified. The concentration of protease-producing bacteria in fish sauce was estimated to be (1.47?±?0.73)?×?10³ colony-forming units (cfu)/mL by real-time PCR assay and showed a percentage of positive results correctly assigned of 91.8 % when compared to the plate culture method used as reference. The results may serve as a foundation for future studies on the microbial succession and variation of microorganisms during fish sauce fermentation.     

Start-up of autotrophic nitrogen removal reactors via sequential biocatalyst addition

A procedure for start-up of oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification-denitrification (OLAND) in a lab-scale rotating biological contactor (RBC) is presented. In this one-step process, NH4+ is directly converted to N2 without the need for an organic carbon source. The approach is based on a sequential addition of two types of easily available biocatalyst to the reactor during start-up: aerobic nitrifying and anaerobic, granular methanogenic sludge. The first is added as a source of aerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AAOB), the second as a possible source of planctomycetes including anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB). The initial nitrifying biofilm serves as a matrix for anaerobic cell incorporation. By subsequently imposing oxygen limitation, one can create an optimal environment for autotrophic N removal. In this way, N removal of about 250 mg of N L(-1) d(-1) was achieved after 100 d treating a synthetic NH4+-rich wastewater. By gradually imposing higher loads on the reactor, the N elimination could be increased to about 1.8 g of N L(-1) d(-1) at 250 d. The resulting microbial community was compared with that of the inocula using general bacterial and AAOB- and planctomycete-specific PCR primers. Subsequently, the RBC reactor was shown to treat a sludge digestor effluent under suboptimal and strongly varying conditions. The RBC biocatalyst was also submitted to complete absence of oxygen in a fixed-film bioreactor (FFBR) and proved able to remove NH4+ with NO2- as electron acceptor (maximal 434 mg of NH4+-N (g of VSS)(-1) d(-1) on day 136). DGGE and real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that the RBC biofilm was dominated by members of the genus Nitrosomonas and close relatives of Kuenenia stuttgartiensis, a known AnAOB. The latter was enriched during FFBR operation, but AAOB were still present and the ratio planctomycetes/AAOB rRNA gene copies was about 4.3 after 136 d of reactor operation. Whether this relates to an active role of AAOB in the anoxic N removal process remains to be solved.     

Mobile catabolic genes in bacteria

The recent findings of various mobile catabolic genes have provided some insight into the evolution of microbial degradation systems for xenobiotic compounds. The catabolic genes undergo marked genetic rearrangements due to their presence on transposons or association with mobile genetic elements. Bacterial catabolic transposons fall into three defined structural classes. Class I elements include catabolic genes flanked by two copies of insertion sequences. Class II elements carry short terminal inverted repeats and transpose by the replicative mode in which transposase and resolvase are involved. Conjugative catabolic transposons represent the third class of mobile genetic elements. They carry all the genes required for excision, conjugal transfer to a new host, and integration. This review focuses on the structures, functions and roles of the recently characterized catabolic transposons in bacteria. Also described are the mobile catabolic elements that share structural similarity with the pathogenicity and symbiosis islands.     

Highly sensitive real-time PCR assay for quantification of toxic cyanobacteria based on microcystin synthetase A gene

The presence of cyanobacterial bloom in water supply reservoirs can cause potential health hazards. In this study, we aimed at the quantification of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria based on the microcystin synthetase A (mcyA) gene using real-time PCR. To perform a highly sensitive real-time PCR assay, the novel primer MSR-2R was designed and a coprecipitation DNA extraction method was used in this study. Cyanobacterial cells could be collected efficiently by coprecipitation with other bacteria suspended in solution even in the case of low concentrations of cyanobacteria. The detection limit of the method was found to be 8.8 cells per reaction. When cyanobacterial growth was monitored in pure culture, the cell concentration determined by real-time PCR positively correlated with the cell concentration determined from direct microscopic count. Furthermore, we could detect and quantify the mcyA gene in lake water samples using real-time PCR. It was concluded that the quantification of the mcyA gene based on real-time PCR is a powerful tool for the rapid quantification of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria in environmental samples.     

Group-specific PCR-RFLP and real-time PCR methods for detection and tentative discrimination of strictly anaerobic beer-spoilage bacteria of the class Clostridia

The strictly anaerobic brewery contaminants of the genera Pectinatus, Megasphaera, Selenomonas and Zymophilus in the class Clostridia constitute an important group of spoilage bacteria of unpasteurised, packaged beers. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate group-specific PCR methods to detect and differentiate these bacteria in beer. A group-specific primer pair targeting a 342-bp variable region of the 16S rRNA gene was designed and evaluated in end-point PCR with gel electrophoresis and in real-time PCR with SYBR Green I dye. Significant cross-reactions with DNAs from any of the forty-two brewery-related, non-target microbes or from real brewery samples were not detected in either PCR system. The group-specific end-point and real-time PCR products could be differentiated according to species/genus and spoilage potential using restriction fragment length polymorphism (KpnI, XmnI, BssHII, ScaI) and melting point curve analysis, respectively. In combination with a rapid DNA extraction method, the PCR reactions detected ca 10(0)-10(3) CFU per 25 ml of beer depending on the strain and on the PCR system. The end-point and real-time PCR analysis took 6-7 h and 2-3 h, respectively. Pre-PCR enrichment of beer samples for 1-3 days ensured the detection of even a single cultivable cell. The PCR and cultivation results of real brewery samples were mostly congruent but the PCR methods were occasionally more sensitive. The PCR methods developed allow the detection of all the nine beer-spoilage Pectinatus, Megasphaera, Selenomonas and Zymophilus species in a single reaction and their differentiation below group level and reduce the analysis time for testing of their presence in beer samples by 1-2 days. The methods can be applied for brewery routine quality control and for studying occurrence, diversity and numbers of the strictly anaerobic beer spoilers in the brewing process.     

Combined application of stable carbon isotope analysis and specific metabolites determination for assessing in situ degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons in a tar oil-contaminated aquifer

To evaluate the intrinsic bioremediation potential in an anoxic tar oil-contaminated aquifer at a former gasworks site, groundwater samples were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) and signature metabolites analysis (SMA). 13C/12C fractionation data revealed conclusive evidence for in situ biodegradation of benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m/p-xylene, naphthalene, and 1-methylnaphthalene. In laboratory growth studies, 13C/12C isotope enrichment factors for anaerobic degradation of naphthalene (epsilon = -1.1 +/- 0.4) and 2-methylnaphthalene (epsilon = -0.9 +/- 0.1) were determined with the sulfate-reducing enrichment culture N47, which was isolated from the investigated test site. On the basis of these and other laboratory-derived enrichment factors from the literature, in situ biodegradation could be quantified for toluene, o-xylene, m/p-xylene, and naphthalene. Stable carbon isotope fractionation in the field was also observed for ethylbenzene, 2-methylnaphthalene, and benzothiophene but without providing conclusive results. Further evidence for the in situ turnover of individual BTEX compounds was provided by the presence of acetophenone, o-toluic acid, and p-toluic acid, three intermediates in the anaerobic degradation of ethylbenzene, o-xylene, and p-xylene, respectively. A number of groundwater samples also contained naphthyl-2-methylsuccinic acid, a metabolite that is highly specific for the anaerobic degradation of 2-methylnaphthalene. Additional metabolites that provided evidence on the anaerobic in situ degradation of naphthalenes were 1-naphthoic acid, 2-naphthoic acid, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthoic acid, and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthoic acid. 2-Carboxybenzothiophene, 5-carboxybenzothiophene, a putative further carboxybenzothiophene isomer, and the reduced derivative dihydrocarboxybenzothiophene indicated the anaerobic conversion of the heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzothiophene. The combined application of CSIA and SMA, as two reliable and independent tools to collect direct evidence on intrinsic bioremediation, leads to a substantially improved evaluation of natural attenuation in situ.     

副溶血弧菌的SYBR Green Ⅰ实时定量PCR检测方法建立

基于副溶血弧菌gyrB基因保守序列设计1对特异性引物,建立SYBR GreenⅠ实时定量聚合酶链式反应(polymerase chain reaction,PCR)检测副溶血弧菌的方法。SYBR GreenⅠ实时定量PCR的Tm为90℃,扩增产物的熔解曲线只出现1个单特异峰,无引物二聚体,表明该引物具有较好的特异性;所制作的实时定量PCR扩增标准曲线在2.06×108～2.06×103拷贝数之间有较好的线性关系,相关系数为0.992,能对副溶血弧进行准确的定量分析。该方法检测时间从核酸抽提到结果分析仅需4～5h,且较传统方法敏感、操作简单,可用于针对副溶血弧菌的进出口检验检疫、食品安全检测及该菌引起的水产动物疾病的诊断与分子流行病学调查。     

A role for Dehalobacter spp. in the reductive dehalogenation of dichlorobenzenes and monochlorobenzene

Previously, we demonstrated the reductive dehalogenation of dichlorobenzene (DCB) isomers to monochlorobenzene (MCB), and MCB to benzene in sediment microcosms derived from a chlorobenzene-contaminated site. In this study, enrichment cultures were established for each DCB isomer and each produced MCB and trace amounts of benzene as end products. MCB dehalogenation activity could only be transferred in sediment microcosms. The 1,2-DCB-dehalogenating culture was studied the most intensively. Whereas Dehalococcoides spp. were not detected in any of the microcosms or cultures, Dehalobacter spp. were detected in 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from 1,2-DCB enrichment cultures, and by PCR using Dehalobacter-specific primers in 1,3-DCB and 1,4-DCB enrichments and MCB-dehalogenating microcosms. Quantitative PCR showed Dehalobacter 16S rRNA gene copies increased up to 3 orders of magnitude upon dehalogenation of DCBs or MCB, and that nearly all of bacterial 16S rRNA genes in a 1,2-DCB-dehalogenating culture belonged to Dehalobacter spp. Dehalobacter 16S rRNA genes from DCB enrichment cultures and MCB-dehalogenating microcosms showed considerable diversity, implying that 16S rRNA sequences do not predict dehalogenation-spectra of Dehalobacter spp. These studies support a role for Dehalobacter spp. in the reductive dehalogenation of DCBs and MCB, and this genus should be considered for its potential impact on chlorobenzene fate at contaminated sites.     

基于高分辨率溶解曲线分析鉴别食品中的3种李斯特氏菌

本研究利用高分辨率熔解曲线的方法,以iap基因为靶标新设计一对引物同时鉴别单增李斯特氏菌、伊氏李斯特氏菌和英诺克李斯特氏菌,其余14种常见食源性病原微生物扩增为阴性结果,单增李斯特氏菌和伊氏李斯特氏菌的检出限为10个拷贝,英诺克李斯特氏菌的检测限为50个拷贝。本研究对78份样品进行HRM-realtimePCR法、GB4789.30-2016和SN/T1870-2016(荧光PCR法)的检测,并对3种方法的检测结果进行统计学分析。结果显示:HRM法和国标方法、HRM法和荧光PCR法的检测结果之间存在统计学差异,国标方法和荧光PCR法检测结果之间无统计学差异。本研究建立的基于HRM-real time PCR法检测3种李斯特氏菌的方法快速高效、特异性好、成本低,适用于食品中李斯特氏菌的日常检测和监管。