| 1. |
- Backman, Agneta, et al.
(författare)
-
Degradation of 4-chlorophenol at low temperature and during extreme temperature fluctuations by Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6
- 2004
-
Ingår i: Microbial Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0095-3628 .- 1432-184X. ; 48:2, s. 246-253
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Low average temperatures and temperature fluctuations in temperate soils challenge the efficacy of microbial strains used for clean up of pollutants. In this study, we investigated the cold tolerance of Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6, a microorganism previously shown to degrade high concentrations of 4-chlorophenol at 28degreesC. Luciferase activity from a luc-tagged derivative of the strain (A6L) was used to monitor the metabolic status of the population during 4-chlorophenol degradation. The A6L strain could degrade 200-300 mug mL(-1) 4-chlorophenol in pure cultures incubated at 5degreesC, although rates of degradation, growth and the metabolic status of the cells were lower at 5degreesC compared to 28degreesC. When subjected to temperature fluctuations between 5 and 28degreesC, A6L continued to degrade 4-chlorophenol and remained active. In soil microcosm experiments, the degradation rates were significantly faster the first week at 28degreesC, compared to 5degreesC. However, this difference was no longer seen after 7 days, and equally low 4-chlorophenol concentrations were reached after 17 days at both temperatures. During 4-chlorophenol degradation in soil, CFU and luciferase activity values remained constant at both 5 and 28degreesC. However, once most of the 4-chlorophenol was degraded, both values decreased by 1-1.5 logarithmic values at 28degreesC, whereas they remained constant at 5degreesC, indicating a high survival of the cells at low temperatures. Because of the ability of A. chlorophenolicus A6 to degrade high concentrations of 4-chlorophenol at 5degreesC, together with its tolerance to temperature fluctuations and stress conditions found in soil, this strain is a promising candidate for bioaugmentation of chlorophenol-contaminated soil in temperate climates.
|
|
| 2. |
- Backman, Agneta, et al.
(författare)
-
Impact of temperature on the physiological status of a potential bioremediation inoculant, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6
- 2004
-
Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 70:5, s. 2952-2958
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 (A6) can degrade large amounts of 4-chlorophenol in soil at 5 and 28degreesC. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperature on the physiological status of this bacterium in pure culture and in soil. A derivative of A6 tagged with the gfp gene (encoding green fluorescent protein [GFP]) was used to specifically quantify A6 cells in soil. In addition, cyano-ditolyl-tetrazoliumchloride was used to stain GFP-fluorescent cells with an active electron transfer system ("viable cellis") whereas propidium iodide (PI) was used to stain cells with damaged membranes ("dead cells"). Another derivative of the strain (tagged with the firefly luciferase gene [luc]) was used to monitor the metabolic activity of the cell population, since the bioluminescence phenotype is dependent on cellular energy reserves. When the cells were incubated in soil at 28degreesC, the majority were stained with PI, indicating that they had lost their cell integrity. In addition, there was a corresponding decline in metabolic activity and in the ability to be grown in cultures on agar plates after incubation in soil at 28degreesC, indicating that the cells were dying under those conditions. When the cells were incubated in soil at 5degreesC, by contrast, the majority of the cells remained intact and a large fraction of the population remained metabolically active. A similar trend towards better cell survival at lower temperatures was found in pure-culture experiments. These results make A. chlorophenolicus A6 a good candidate for the treatment of chlorophenol-contaminated soil in cold climates.
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Elväng, Annelie M., et al.
(författare)
-
Use of green fluorescent protein and luciferase biomarkers to monitor survival and activity of Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 cells during degradation of 4-chlorophenol in soil
- 2001
-
Ingår i: Environmental Microbiology. - : Wiley. - 1462-2912 .- 1462-2920. ; 3:1, s. 32-42
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The recently isolated novel species Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 is capable of growth on and degradation of high concentrations of 4-chlorophenol (up to 350 mug ml(-1)) as the sole carbon and energy source, This strain shows promise for bioremediation of environmental sites contaminated with high levels of chlorophenols. In this study, green fluorescent protein (gfp) or luciferase (luc) genes were used as biomarkers for monitoring cell number and activity, respectively, during degradation of 4-chlorophenol by A. chlorophenolicus cells. The individual marked strains, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6L (luc-tagged) and Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6G (gfp-tagged), were monitored during degradation of 250 mug ml(-1) 4-chlorophenol in pure culture and 175 mug g(-1) 4-chlorophenol in soil microcosms. Both gene-tagged strains were capable of cleaning up the contaminated soil during 9 d incubation. During the bioremediation experiments, the luc-tagged cells were monitored using luminometry and the gfp tagged cells using flow cytometry, in addition to selective plate counting for both strains. The cells remained at high population levels in the soil (evidenced by GFP-fluorescent cell counts) and the A. chlorophenolicus A6L population was metabolically active (evidenced by luciferase activity measurements). These results demonstrate that the Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6 inoculum is effective for cleaning-up soil containing high concentrations of 4-chlorophenol.
|
|
| 5. |
- Jernberg, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
-
Impact of 4-chlorophenol contamination and/or inoculation with the 4-chlorophenol-degrading strain, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6L, on soil bacterial community structure
- 2002
-
Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0168-6496 .- 1574-6941. ; 42:3, s. 387-97
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The 4-chlorophenol-degrading strain, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus A6L (chromosomally tagged with the firefly luciferase gene, luc) was inoculated into 4-chlorophenol-contaminated soil to assess the impact of bioaugmentation with a biodegrading strain on the indigenous microbiota. Simultaneously, the impact of 4-chlorophenol alone, or inoculation with A. chlorophenolicus into non-contaminated soil, was addressed. Using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) several significant changes were detected in community fingerprint patterns obtained from soil microcosms treated under the different conditions. The relative abundances of some populations, as judged by the relative intensity of terminal restriction fragments, were significantly impacted by either 4-chlorophenol, A. chlorophenolicus inoculation, or by a combination of both inoculation and 4-chlorophenol contamination. Some populations were significantly stimulated and others were significantly repressed when compared to control soil with no additions. For several peaks, the positive or negative impact imposed by the treatments increased over the 13-day incubation period. Some members of the bacterial community were specifically sensitive to A. chlorophenolicus inoculation or to 4-chlorophenol contamination, whereas other populations remained relatively unaffected by any of the treatments. The A. chlorophenolicus inoculum was also monitored by T-RFLP and was found to have a significantly higher relative abundance in soil contaminated with 4-chlorophenol. These results were substantiated by a high correlation to luciferase activity measurements and the number of colony forming units of the inoculum. Therefore, the A. chlorophenolicus A6L population was positively stimulated by the presence of the 4-chlorophenol substrate (180 microg g(-1) soil) that it catabolized during the first 8 days of the incubation period as a carbon and energy source. Together, these results demonstrate that specific populations in the soil bacterial community rapidly fluctuated in response to specific disturbances and the resulting shifts in the community may therefore represent an adjustment in community structure favoring those populations best capable of responding to novel stress scenarios.
|
|
| 6. |
- Lowder, M, et al.
(författare)
-
Effect of starvation and the viable-but-nonculturable state on green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorescence in GFP-tagged Pseudomonas fluorescens A506
- 2000
-
Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 66:8, s. 3160-3165
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, gfp, of the jellyfish Aequorea victoria is being used as a reporter system for gene expression and as a marker for tracking prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Cells that have been genetically altered with the gfp gene produce a protein that fluoresces when it is excited by UV light. This unique phenotype allows gth-tagged cells to be specifically monitored by nondestructive means, In this study we determined whether a gfp-tagged strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens continued to fluoresce under conditions under which the cells were starved, viable but nonculturable (VBNC), or dead. Epifluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry, and spectrofluorometry were used to measure fluorescence intensity in starved, VBNC, and dead or dying cells. Results obtained by using how cytometry indicated that microcosms containing VBNC cells, which were obtained by incubation under stress conditions (starvation at 37.5 degrees C), fluoresced at an intensity that mas at least 80% of the intensity of nonstressed cultures, Similarly, microcosms containing starved cells incubated at 5 and 30 degrees C had fluorescence intensities that were 90 to 110% of the intensity of nonstressed cells. VBNC cells remained fluorescent during the entire 6-month incubation period. in addition, cells starved at 5 or 30 degrees C remained fluorescent for at least 11 months. Treatment of the cells with UV light or incubation at 39 or 50 degrees C resulted in a loss of GFP from the cells. There was a strong correlation between cell death and leakage of GFP from the cells, although the extent of leakage varied depending on the treatment, Most dead cells were not GFP fluorescent, but a small proportion of the dead cells retained some GFP at a lower concentration than the concentration in live cells, Our results suggest that gfp-tagged cells remain fluorescent following starvation and entry into the VBNC state but that fluorescence is lost when the cells die, presumably because membrane integrity is lost.
|
|
| 7. |
- Lu, Zexun, et al.
(författare)
-
In vivo study of Trichoderma-pathogen-plant interactions, using constitutive and inducible green fluorescent protein reporter systems
- 2004
-
Ingår i: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. - 0099-2240 .- 1098-5336. ; 70:5, s. 3073-3081
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant tissue colonization by Trichoderma atroviride plays a critical role in the reduction of diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi, but this process has not been thoroughly studied in situ. We monitored in Situ interactions between gfp-tagged biocontrol strains of T. atroviride and soilborne plant pathogens that were grown in cocultures and on cucumber seeds by confocal scanning laser microscopy and fluorescence stereomicroscopy. Spores of T. atroviride adhered to Pythium ultimum mycelia in coculture experiments. In mycoparasitic interactions of T. atroviride with P. ultimum or Rhizoctonia solani, the mycoparasitic hyphae grew alongside the pathogen mycelia, and this was followed by coiling and formation of specialized structures similar to hooks, appressoria, and papillae. The morphological changes observed depended on the pathogen tested. Branching of T. atroviride mycelium appeared to be an active response to the presence of the pathogenic host. Mycoparasitism of P. ultimum by T. atroviride occurred on cucumber seed surfaces while the seeds were germinating. The interaction of these fungi on the cucumber seeds was similar to the interaction observed in coculture experiments. Green fluorescent protein expression under the control of host-inducible promoters was also studied. The induction of specific Trichoderma genes was monitored visually in cocultures, on plant surfaces, and in soil in the presence of colloidal chitin or Rhizoctonia by confocal microscopy and fluorescence stereomicroscopy. These tools allowed initiation of the mycoparasitic gene expression cascade to be monitored in vivo.
|
|
| 8. |
- Maraha, Ninwe, et al.
(författare)
-
Monitoring physiological status of GFP-tagged Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 under different nutrient conditions and in soil by flow cytometry
- 2004
-
Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0168-6496 .- 1574-6941. ; 51:1, s. 123-132
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25, a plant growth promoting bacterium. has been widely studied due to its potential as an inoculum for improving crop yields. Environmental inoculants are usually applied oil seeds or directly to soil and to effectively promote plant growth they need to be viable and active. However, it is difficult to study the physiological status of specific microorganisms in complex environments, such as soil. In this study, our aim was to use molecular tools to specifically monitor the physiological status of P. fluorescens SBW25 in soil and ill pure cultures incubated under different nutritional conditions. The cells were previously tagged with marker genes (encoding green fluorescent protein and bacterial luciferase) to specifically track the cells in environmental samples. The physiological status of the cells was determined using the viability stains 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl-tetrazolium chloride (CTC) and propidium iodide (PI), which stain active and dead cells, respectively. Luciferase activity was used to monitor the metabolic activity of the population. Most of the cells died after incubation for nine days in nutrient rich medium. By contrast when incubated under starvation conditions, most of the population was not stained with CTC or PI (i.e. intact but inactive cells), indicating that most of the cells were presumably dormant. In soil, a large fraction of the SBW25 cell population became inactive and died, as determined by a decline in luciferase activity and CTC-stained cells, an increase in PI-stained cells, and an inability of the cells to be cultured oil agar medium. However, approximately 60% of the population was unstained, presumably indicating that the cells entered a state of dormancy in soil similar to that observed under starvation conditions in pure cultures. These results demonstrate the applicability of this approach for monitoring the physiological status of specific cells under stress conditions, such as those experienced by environmental inoculants in soil.
|
|
| 9. |
- Räsänen, L A, et al.
(författare)
-
Effect of heat stress on cell activity and cell morphology of the tropical rhizobium, Sinorhizobium arboris
- 2001
-
Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0168-6496 .- 1574-6941. ; 34:3, s. 267-278
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of heat stress oil the growth, physiological state, cell activity and cell morphology of the tropical Sinorhizobium ariboris strain HAMBI 2190 was studied. The cells were chromosomally tagged with the firefly luciferase gene, luc. Since the bioluminescence phenotype is dependent on cellular energy reserves it was used as an indicator of the metabolic status of the cell population under various heat conditions. Variations in the numbers and lengths of growth phases between individual cultures indicated that the growth pattern at 40 degreesC was disturbed compared to growth at 37 or 28 degreesC. In addition, the cell morphology was changed radically. The number of culturable cells and the luciferase activity declined when the cultures were incubated at 40 degreesC. By contrast, under all conditions studied, the cells could be stained with 5-(and 6-)sulfofluorescein diacetate, indicating esterase activity. This demonstrated that although the culturability and cellular energy reserves decreased considerably during heat stress, a majority of the of S. arboris cell population maintained basal enzyme activity.
|
|
| 10. |
- Westerberg, Karolina, et al.
(författare)
-
Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus sp nov., a new species capable of degrading high concentrations of 4-chlorophenol
- 2000
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. - : Microbiology Society. - 1466-5026 .- 1466-5034. ; 50, s. 2083-2092
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A micro-organism was isolated from soil which could grow on high concentrations [up to 350 p.p.m. (2.7 mM)] of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The isolate, designated strain A6(T), was obtained from a soil suspension that had been selectively enriched with gradually increasing concentrations of 4-CP. Strain A6T could also grow on several other para-substituted phenols. Characterization of strain A6T with respect to chemical, biochemical and morphological properties, 16S rDNA sequencing and DNA-DNA hybridization indicated that the isolate is a novel species within the genus Arthrobacter for which the name Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DSM 12829(T).
|
|
| 11. |
|
|
