Genotypic Survey and Phylogenetic Alignment of Dechlorinating Microorganisms
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Authors
Zahrt, Thomas C.
Issue Date
1992
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a chemical which became one of
the most widely used and distributed pesticides within the
world. Due to its versatility and popularity, PCP and its
sodium salt (Na-PCP) were commonly used as a fungicide,
insecticide, and termicide by the wood processing industry.
As a consequence, it became widely distributed within the
environment, and is now on the united states Environmental
Protection Agency's (USEPA) Priority Toxic Chemical List. PCP
poses serious threats to terrestrial and aquatic organisms,
because it acts as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation.
Interestingly, many bacteria have been isolated which possess
the ability to degrade PCP. The research outlined in this
document includes a genotypic survey of several bacteria
capable of dechlorinating PCP. Two microbes, Arthrobacter
sp., strain ATCC 33790 and Pseudomonas sp., strain SR3, were
found to contain genes homologous to those encoding the
dechlorinating machinery in Flavobacterium sp., strain ATCC
39723. A phylogenetic alignment of these three microbes was
also performed by sequencing 16s rDNA. It was hoped that this
data would help reveal information concerning the relatedness
of these dechlorinating genes.
Description
iv, 24 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.