Identification of Reductive Dehalogenases That Mediate Complete Debromination of Penta- and Tetrabrominated Diphenyl Ethers in <i>Dehalococcoides</i> spp.
Siyan Zhao, Matthew J. Rogers, Lifeng Cao, Chang Ding, Jianzhong He
Abstract
The ubiquity, toxicity, and persistence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the environment have drawn significant public and scientific interest to the need for the remediation of PBDE-contaminated ecosystems. However, the low bioavailability of PBDEs in environmental compartments typically limits bioremediation of PBDEs and has long impeded the study of anaerobic microbial PBDE removal. In the current study, a novel Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain, dubbed strain TZ50, that expresses RDases that mediate organohalide respiration of both PBDEs and chloroethenes was isolated and characterized. Strain TZ50 could potentially be used to remediate multiple cooccurring organohalides in contaminated systems.