Claims
- 1. A method for screening a test composition for the presence of microorganisms capable of anaerobically dechlorinating polychlorinated aromatic compounds, which comprises:
- selecting, as a substrate, a polychlorinated aromatic compound which is not susceptible to degradation by the 2,3-dioxygenase pathway but which, when anaerobically dechlorinated, affords products which are susceptible to such dechlorination;
- anaerobically contacting said substrate with said test composition in a first contact step;
- aerobically contacting the product of said first contact step with an indicator microorganism selected from the group consisting of E. coli strain FM4560 and Pseudomonas sp. strain FM206 which encodes the first three steps but not the hydrase enzyme step of the 2,3-dioxygenase route, in a second contact step; and
- screening the product of said second step for the presence of colored metabolite compounds indicative of the presence in the product of said first contact step of polychlorinated aromatic compounds susceptible to the 2,3-dioxygenase pathway.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is 2,5,2',5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl or 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl.
- 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the substrate is 2,5,2',5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl.
- 4. A method for screening a test sample for the presence of halogenated aromatic compounds capable of dehalogenation by the 2,3-dioxygenase pathway, which comprises the steps of:
- aerobically contacting said test sample with an indicator microorganism selected from the group consisting of E. coli strain FM4560 and Pseudomonas sp. strain FM206 which encodes the first three steps but not the hydrase enzyme step of the 2,3-dioxygenase route; and
- screening the product of said contacting step for the presence of colored metabolite compounds indicative of the presence in said test sample of said halogenated aromatic compounds.
- 5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the halogenated aromatic compounds are polyhalogenated.
- 6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the polyhalogenated aromatic compounds are polychlorinated.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/217,814 filed Mar. 25, 1994, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (4)
Entry |
Havel et al, Appl Microbiol Biotech (1992) 38:pp. 129-134. |
May et al, Appl and Environm Microbiol (Dec. 1992) vol. 58, No. 12, pp. 4051-4054. |
Bedard et al., App. & Envir. Microbiol. 53, 1094-1102 (1987). |
Van Dort et al., App. & Envir. Microbiol. 57, 1576-1578 (1991). |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
217814 |
Mar 1994 |
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