Identification of arene degradation bacteria using carbon isotope labeling method

Key words:  carbon isotope  bacteria identification  CsCl density gradient  DGGE analysis  arene

Abstract:

The degradation bacteria of petroleum hydrocarbon were enriched and cultured from the oilfield water. Using ¹³C-toluene as carbon source and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) technology to identify and investigate the bacterial community which could degrade the toluene. The results show that after 500 days anaerobic degradation the petroleum hydrocarbon degradation rate is 36.4％ by complex bacterium, and the methane yield is 201.2 μmol. It is also found that after 60 days culture the carbon source¹³C-toluene degradation rate is 67％ by the complex bacterium. Meanwhile, after 60 days culture the ¹²C-toluene degradation rate is 69％, and two kinds of toluene degradation rate are not significantly different. ¹³C-DNA is recovered and identified for three types of aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria.