This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zhou, J. Articles by Tiedje, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zhou, J. Articles by Tiedje, J. M. Agricola Articles by Zhou, J. Articles by Tiedje, J. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Jun 1997, 2384-2390, Vol 63, No. 6
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology

Sensitive detection of a novel class of toluene-degrading denitrifiers, Azoarcus tolulyticus, with small-subunit rRNA primers and probes

J Zhou, AV Palumbo and JM Tiedje
Center For Microbial Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, USA.

Azoarcus tolulyticus is a new class of widely distributed toluene- degrading denitrifiers of potential importance in remediating benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)-contaminated environments. To detect these organisms in the environment, 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic probes were developed. Two sets of specific PCR amplification primers and two oligonucleotide hybridization probes were designed and tested against both closely and distantly related environmental isolates. All of these primers and probes were specific to the species A. tolulyticus. The sensitivity of the PCR amplification primer sets was evaluated with DNA isolated from A. tolulyticus Tol-4 pure culture and from sterile soils seeded with a known number of Tol-4 and Escherichia coli cells. These primer sets were able to detect 1 fg to 1 pg of template DNA from the pure culture and 1.11 x 10(2) to 1.1 x 10(8) Tol-4 cells per g of soil in the presence of 1.56 x 10(10) E. coli cells. These two PCR amplification primers were also successfully tested at two field sites. The primers identified the A. tolulyticus strains among the toluene-degrading bacteria isolated from a low-O2- high-NO(3)- aquifer at Moffett Field, Calif. Also, the presence of A. tolulyticus was detected in the groundwater samples from a BTEX- contaminated aquifer at an industrial site in Detroit, Mich., which showed anaerobic toluene degradation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Stres, B., Mahne, I., Avgustin, G., Tiedje, J. M. (2004). Nitrous Oxide Reductase (nosZ) Gene Fragments Differ between Native and Cultivated Michigan Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 301-309 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Liu, X., Tiquia, S. M., Holguin, G., Wu, L., Nold, S. C., Devol, A. H., Luo, K., Palumbo, A. V., Tiedje, J. M., Zhou, J. (2003). Molecular Diversity of Denitrifying Genes in Continental Margin Sediments within the Oxygen-Deficient Zone off the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 3549-3560 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Braker, G., Zhou, J., Wu, L., Devol, A. H., Tiedje, J. M. (2000). Nitrite Reductase Genes (nirK and nirS) as Functional Markers To Investigate Diversity of Denitrifying Bacteria in Pacific Northwest Marine Sediment Communities. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 2096-2104 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• DuTeau, N. M., Rogers, J. D., Bartholomay, C. T., Reardon, K. F. (1998). Species-Specific Oligonucleotides for Enumeration of Pseudomonas putida F1, Burkholderia sp. Strain JS150, and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 7003 in Biodegradation Experiments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 4994-4999 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Braker, G., Fesefeldt, A., Witzel, K.-P. (1998). Development of PCR Primer Systems for Amplification of Nitrite Reductase Genes (nirK and nirS) To Detect Denitrifying Bacteria in Environmental Samples. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 3769-3775 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Watanabe, K., Yamamoto, S., Hino, S., Harayama, S. (1998). Population Dynamics of Phenol-Degrading Bacteria in Activated Sludge Determined by gyrB-Targeted Quantitative PCR. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 1203-1209 [Abstract] [Full Text]