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Metabolism of Alkanes and Degradation of Chlorinated Ethenes by the Bacterium Pseudomonas butanovora. Kate Bateman Mentors: Dr. Daniel Arp David Doughty Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. Why We Study. this Organism. BIOREMEDIATION:
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Metabolism of Alkanes and Degradation of Chlorinated Ethenes by the Bacterium Pseudomonas butanovora Kate Bateman Mentors: Dr. Daniel Arp David Doughty Department of Botany and Plant Pathology
Why We Study this Organism BIOREMEDIATION: P. butanovora is capable of removing harmful chemicals (chlorinated ethenes) from the environment
Chlorinated Ethenes • Uses: Industrial cleaners and creation of plastics • Extensive groundwater pollution • Drinking water pollutants: • Toxicto the liver, kidneys, and nervous system • Linked to cancer and birth defects • EPA goal for complete removal not yet reached Trichloroethylene (TCE) Plume
Cometabolism BMO enzyme: Butane monooxygenase -Oxidizes alkanes (ethane, propane, butane) -Cooxidizes variety of chlorinated ethenes
Bioremediation • Pump organisms and their food (alkane) into the contaminated ground water Goal: Understand relationship between metabolism of their food source and cometabolism of toxic compound Example of a bioreactor
Propionate Assay Objective: Determine the relative affinity of the BMO enzyme’s active site for a range of alkanes
Propionate Assay Butane Propane
Nothing competes with propane 1 Ethane competes with propane 2 Butane competes with propane 3
(Increasing affinity for BMO active site) (Decreasing alkane concentration)
Goal: Examine relationship between metabolism of the alkane and cometabolism of the chlorinated ethene while the culture is growing
87% 72%
94% of TCE degraded 76% of TCE degraded
Research Conclusions • BMO’s active site has a higher affinity for butane than ethane • Butane-grown cultures degrade more TCE and at a faster rate than ethane or propane-grown cultures
Acknowledgements Howard Hughes Medical Institute Dr. Daniel Arp Dave Doughty