Molecular characterization of a methanogenic toluene-degrading consortium.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 136
Description: Molecular techniques were used to characterize an enriched methanogenic toluene-degrading consortium of microorganisms, to identify putative genes (referred to as bssABE) which code for enzymes involved in the first step of toluene mineralization by this community, and to gain information about relationships between putative genes and organisms identified. A cloning study revealed that two organisms, Eub-1 and Eub-6, had survived in the consortium over an 8 year period, suggesting an important role for each of these organisms in the community. Degenerate primers designed from known bss operon sequences were used to identify at least two putative bssA  and one putative bssBE. To our knowledge, this is the first report of putative bssABE sequences obtained from a methanogenic community. The presence of two putative bssA sequences may suggest the presence of two different toluene-activating organisms, a hypothesis supported by results from a quantitative PCR study of the consortium.
Notes: Adviser:  E. A. Edwards.

Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, page: 0810.

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