Degradation of alkanes and highly chlorinated benzenes, and production of biosurfactants, by a psychrophilic Rhodococcus sp. and genetic characterization of its chlorobenzene dioxygenase.

Rhodococcus sp. strain MS11 was isolated from a mixed culture. It displays a diverse range of metabolic capabilities. During growth on 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene (1,2,4,5-TeCB) and 3-chlorobenzoate stoichiometric amounts of chloride were released. It also utilized all three isomeric dichlorobenzenes and 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene as the sole carbon and energy source. Furthermore, the bacterium grew well on a great number of n-alkanes ranging from n-heptane to n-triacontane and on the branched alkane 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane (pristane) and slowly on n-hexane and n-pentatriacontane. It was able to grow at temperatures from 5 to 30 degrees C, with optimal growth at 20 degrees C, and could tolerate 6 % NaCl in mineral salts medium. Genes encoding the initial chlorobenzene dioxygenase were detected by using a primer pair that was designed against the alpha-subunit (TecA1) of the chlorobenzene dioxygenase of Ralstonia (formerly Burkholderia) sp. strain PS12. The amino acid sequence of the amplified part of the alpha-subunit of the chlorobenzene dioxygenase of Rhodococcus sp. strain MS11 showed >99 % identity to the alpha-subunit of the chlorobenzene dioxygenase from Ralstonia sp. strain PS12 and the parts of both alpha-subunits responsible for substrate specificity were identical. The subsequent enzymes dihydrodiol dehydrogenase and chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase were induced in cells grown on 1,2,4,5-TeCB. During cultivation on medium-chain-length n-alkanes ranging from n-decane to n-heptadecane, including 1-hexadecene, and on the branched alkane pristane, strain MS11 produced biosurfactants lowering the surface tension of the cultures from 72 to </=29 mN m(-1). Glycolipids were extracted from the supernatant of a culture grown on n-hexadecane and characterized by (1)H- and (13)C-NMR-spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The two major components consisted of alpha,alpha-trehalose esterified at C-2 or C-4 with a succinic acid and at C-2' with a decanoic acid. They differed from one another in that one 2,3,4,2'-trehalosetetraester, found in higher concentration, was esterified at C-2, C-3 or C-4 with one octanoic and one decanoic acid and the other one, of lower concentration, with two octanoic acids. The results demonstrate that Rhodococcus sp. strain MS11 may be well suited for bioremediation of soils and sediments contaminated for a long time with di-, tri- and tetrachlorobenzenes as well as alkanes.