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PubMed2005

Description of toluene inhibition of methyl bromide biodegradation in seawater and isolation of a marine toluene oxidizer that degrades methyl bromide.

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) and methyl chloride (CH3Cl) are important precursors for destruction of stratospheric ozone, and oceanic uptake is an important component of the biogeochemical cycle of these methyl halides. In an effort to identify and characterize the organisms mediating halocarbon biodegradation, we surveyed the effect of potential cometabolic substrates on CH3Br biodegradation using a 13CH3Br incubation technique. Toluene (160 to 200 nM) clearly inhibited CH3Br and CH3Cl degradation in seawater samples from the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Southern Oceans. Furthermore, a marine bacterium able to co-oxidize CH3Br while growing on toluene was isolated from subtropical Western Atlantic seawater. The bacterium, Oxy6, was also able to oxidize o-xylene and the xylene monooxygenase (XMO) pathway intermediate 3-methylcatechol. Patterns of substrate oxidation, lack of acetylene inhibition, and the inability of the toluene 4-monooxygenase (T4MO)-containing bacterium Pseudomonas mendocina KR1 to degrade CH3Br ruled out participation of the T4MO pathway in Oxy6. Oxy6 also oxidized a variety of toluene (TOL) pathway intermediates such as benzyl alcohol, benzylaldehyde, benzoate, and catechol, but the inability of Pseudomonas putida mt-2 to degrade CH3Br suggested that the TOL pathway might not be responsible for CH3Br biodegradation. Molecular phylogenetic analysis identified Oxy6 to be a member of the family Sphingomonadaceae related to species within the Porphyrobacter genus. Although some Sphingomonadaceae can degrade a variety of xenobiotic compounds, this appears to be the first report of CH3Br degradation for this class of organism. The widespread inhibitory effect of toluene on natural seawater samples and the metabolic capabilities of Oxy6 indicate a possible link between aromatic hydrocarbon utilization and the biogeochemical cycle of methyl halides.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed1975

Effects of temperature and crude oil composition on petroleum biodegradation.

The biodegradability of seven different crude oils was found to be highly dependent on their composition and on incubation temperature. At 20 C lighter oils had greater abiotic losses and were more susceptible to biodegradation than heavier oils. These light crude oils, however, possessed toxic volatile components which evaporated only slowly and inhibited microbial degradation of these oils at 10 C. No volatile toxic fraction was associated with the heavier oils tested. Rates of oil mineralization for the heavier oils were significantly lower at 20 C than for the lighter ones. Similar relative degradation rates were found with a mixed microbial community, using CO2 evolution as the measure, and with a Pseudomonas isolate from the Arctic, using O2 consumption as the measure. The paraffinic, aromatic, and asphaltic fractions were subject to biodegradation. Some preference was shown for paraffin degradation, especially at low temperatures. Branched paraffins, such as pristane, were degraded at both 10 and 20 C. At best, a 20% residue still remained after 42 days of incubation. Oil residues generally had a lower relative percentage of paraffins and higher percentage of asphaltics than fresh or weathered oil.

Alkanes↗

PubMed1993

Nucleotide sequence of the adi gene, which encodes the biodegradative acid-induced arginine decarboxylase of Escherichia coli.

Arginine decarboxylase (encoded by adi) is induced under conditions of acidic pH, anaerobiosis, and rich medium. The DNA sequence of a 3-kb fragment of the Escherichia coli chromosome encoding biodegradative arginine decarboxylase was determined. This sequence encodes a protein of 755 amino acids with a molecular size of 84,420 daltons. The molecular weight and predicted Adi amino acid composition agree with those found in earlier work. The amino acid sequence of arginine decarboxylase showed homology to those of three other decarboxylases of E. coli: (i) CadA, encoding lysine decarboxylase; (ii) SpeC, encoding biosynthetic ornithine decarboxylase; and (iii) SpeF, encoding biodegradative ornithine decarboxylase and the lysine decarboxylase of Hafnia alvei. Unlike SpeC and SpeF, Adi is not similar to the biosynthetic arginine decarboxylase, SpeA. adi is also dissimilar to cadA and speF in that it does not appear to be part of an operon containing a metabolically related transport protein, indicating that it represents a new type of biodegradative decarboxylase regulation. Transcriptional fusions between fragments upstream of adi and lacZ, primer extension, and site-directed mutagenesis experiments defined the pH-regulated promoter. Deletion analysis of the upstream region and cloning of fragments to make adi::lacZ protein fusion implicated a region beyond an upstream SspI site in pH regulation. Induction of adi in the presence of sublethal concentrations of novobiocin or coumermycin A1, inhibitors of DNA gyrase, was dramatically decreased, indicating that DNA supercoiling is involved in adi expression. These results and those of promoter structure studies indicated that acid regulation of adi may involve a mechanism different from that of acid regulation of cad.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Biodegradation of naphthenic acids by microbial populations indigenous to oil sands tailings.

Organic acids, similar in structure to naphthenic acids, have been associated with the acute toxicity of tailings produced by the oil sands industry in northeastern Alberta, Canada. Bacterial cultures enriched from oil sands tailings were found to utilize as their sole carbon source both a commercial mixture of naphthenic acids and a mixture of organic acids extracted from oil sands tailings. Gas chromatographic analysis of both the commercial naphthenic acids and the extracted organic acids revealed an unresolved "hump" formed by the presence of many overlapping peaks. Microbial activity directed against the commercial mixture of naphthenic acids converted approximately 50% of organic carbon into CO2 and resulted in a reduction in many of the gas chromatographic peaks associated with this mixture. Acute toxicity testing utilizing the Microtox test revealed a complete absence of detectable toxicity following the biodegradation of the naphthenic acids. Microbial activity mineralized approximately 20% of the organic carbon present in the extracted organic acids mixture, although there was no indication of a reduction in any gas chromatographic peaks with biodegradation. Microbial attack on the organic acids mixture reduced acute toxicity to approximately one half of the original level. Respirometric measurements of microbial activity within microcosms containing oil sands tailings were used to provide further evidence that the indigenous microbial community could biodegrade naphthenic acids and components within the extracted organic acids mixture.

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus↗

PubMed1995

In situ biodegradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) in natural waters.

The biodegradation of samples of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)(P(3HB)), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-10%-3-hydroxyvalerate)(P(3HB-co-10 %-3HV)), and poly 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-20%-3-hydroxyvalerate)(P(3HB-co-20%- 3HV)) was investigated in situ in natural waters. The degradation was studied by decrease in mass, molecular weight, and tensile strength. In two freshwater ponds the polymers were slowly degraded. After half a year of submersion the mass loss was less than 7%. After 358 days in a freshwater canal, 34% mass loss was recorded for the homopolymer, and 77% for the P(3HB-co-10%-3-HV) samples, while the P(3HB-co-20%-3HV) samples had completely disappeared. In seawater in the harbour of Zeebrugge, P(3HB) samples lost 31% of their initial mass, and the copolymers 49-52%, within 270 days. In all of these environments, the degradation rate was faster during the summer, when the temperature of the water was higher. No relevant changes in molecular weight could be detected, indicating that the degradation took place only at the surface of the samples. The degradation resulted in considerable loss of tensile strength of the copolymer samples. Ninety-two microorganisms, mainly bacteria, able to degrade P(3HB) in polymer overlayer plates, were isolated and identified by fatty acid analysis. The isolates from one freshwater pond belonged mainly to the bacterial genus Acidovorax, while the microorganisms from the other freshwater pond belonged to various bacterial genera, to Streptomyces, and to the mould genus Penicillium. Most of the 31 bacterial isolates from seawater were identified as Alteromonas haloplanktis. The results demonstrate that P(3HB) and P(3HB-co-3HV) samples are effectively biodegradable in natural waters under real-life conditions and reveal the biodiversity of the microflora responsible for this biodegradation.

Bacteria↗

PubMed1997

Microbiology and biodegradation of resin acids in pulp mill effluents: a minireview.

Resin acids, a group of diterpenoid carboxylic acids present mainly in softwood species, are present in many pulp mill effluents and toxic to fish in recipient waters. They are considered to be readily biodegradable. However, their removal across biological treatment systems has been shown to vary. Recent studies indicate that natural resin acids and transformation products may accumulate in sediments and pose acute and chronic toxicity to fish. Several resin acid biotransformation compounds have also been shown to bioaccumulate and to be more resistant to biodegradation than the original material. Until recently, the microbiology of resin-acid degradation has received only scant attention. Although wood-inhabiting fungi have been shown to decrease the level of resin present in wood, there is no conclusive evidence that fungi can completely degrade these compounds. In contrast, a number of bacterial isolates have recently been described which are able to utilize dehydroabietic or isopimaric acids as their sole carbon source. There appears to be an unusually high degree of substrate specificity with respect of the utilization of abietane congeners and the presence of substituents. Pimaranes do not appear to be attacked to the same extent as the abietanes. This paper reviews the occurrence, chemistry, toxicity, and biodegradation of resin acids in relation to the biological treatment of pulp and paper mill effluents.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2005

The impacts of cyanobacteria on pulp-and-paper wastewater toxicity and biodegradation of wastewater contaminants.

This study investigated the effects of cyanobacteria from pulp-and-paper waste-treatment systems on biological toxicity removal and biodegradation of certain wastewater contaminants. In field and batch studies, using the Microtox assay, cyanobacterial biomass and final wastewater toxicity were significantly correlated. In softwood-based wastewater, a decrease in toxicity was negatively correlated with cyanobacterial biomass, but the correlation was positive in hardwood-based wastewater. In the softwood-based wastewater, toxicity remained higher in the light than it was in the dark, whereas in hardwood-based wastewater, toxicity was lower in the light than it was in the dark. All of these results were light-dependent, suggesting that the photosynthetic growth of cyanobacteria is required to induce significant effects. When grown in mixed cultures with bacterial degraders, cyanobacteria from pulp-and-paper waste-treatment systems generally impeded the biodegradation of the wastewater contaminants phenol and dichloroacetate (DCA). However, there was one case where the cyanobacterium Phormidium insigne improved the bacterial degradation of DCA. Doubling inorganic nutrient concentrations did not improve phenol or DCA biodegradation in the majority of cases, indicating that nutrient competition is not a major factor. These data suggest that cyanobacteria play an important role during the biological treatment of contaminants, and, hence, toxicity removal in pulp-and-paper waste-treatment systems.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2002

Influence of surface morphology and chemistry on the enzyme catalyzed biodegradation of polycarbonate-urethanes.

Polycarbonate based polyurethanes were synthesized with varying hard segment content as well as hard segment chemistry based on three different diisocyanates,1,6-hexane diisocyanate (HDI), 4.4'-methylene bisphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 4,4-methylene biscyclohexyl diisocyanate (HMDI). The surface chemistry and morphology were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The polymers were incubated with cholesterol esterase (CE) in a phosphate buffer solution at 37 degrees C over 10 weeks. XPS results showed that the surface chemistry changed as the size and chemistry of the hard segment varied within the materials. AFM images exhibited distinctive surface morphologies for all polymers, and this was particularly apparent with changes in the hard segment chemistry. The results showed that the surface of HDI polymers consisted of relatively stiff rod-like structures, which corresponded to the soft segment domains. Polymers with a higher HDI content exhibited a dense top layer containing a relatively higher hard segment component, covering the sub-surface matrix of rod like structures. The MDI based polyurethane had large aggregates on its top surface, which corresponded to the aggregation of harder components. The HMDI based polycarbonate-urethane presented a relatively homogeneous surface where no phase separation could be detected. The relative differences in hard and soft segment content in their surface structure was supported by XPS findings. The analysis of the biodegradation results, concluded that enzyme catalyzed biodegradation within these materials was initiated in amorphous soft segment regions located in the region of the interface between hard and soft segments. A higher hard segment content at the surface contributed significantly to an increase in biostability. The findings provided an enhanced understanding for the role of surface molecular structure in the enzyme catalyzed biodegradation of polyurethanes.

Biocompatible Materials↗

PubMed2004

Controlled synthesis of biodegradable lactide polymers and copolymers using novel in situ generated or single-site stereoselective polymerization initiators.

Polylactides and their copolymers are key biodegradable polymers used widely in biomedical, pharmaceutical and ecological applications. The development of synthetic pathways and catalyst/initiator systems to produce pre-designed polylactides, as well as the fundamental understanding of the polymerization reactions, has continuously been an important topic. Here, we will address the recent advances in the ring-opening polymerization of lactides, with an emphasis on the highly versatile in situ generated initiator systems and single-site stereoselective initiators. The in situ generated initiators including in situ formed yttrium, calcium and zinc alkoxides all have been shown to bring about a rapid and living polymerization of lactides under mild conditions, which facilitated the preparation of a variety of advanced lactide-based biomaterials. For example, well-defined di- and tri-block copolymers consisting of hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) blocks and hydrophobic polyester blocks, which form novel biodegradable polymersomes or biodegradable thermosensitive hydrogels, have been prepared. In the past few years, significant progress has also been made in the area of stereoselective polymerization of lactides. This new generation of initiators has enabled the production of polylactide materials with novel microstructures and/or properties, such as heterotactic (--RRSSRRSSRRSS--) polylactide, crystalline syndiotactic (--RSRSRSRSRSRS--) polylactide and isotactic stereoblock (--Rn Sn Rn Sn--) polylactide, exhibiting a high melting temperature. The recently developed polymerizations using in situ generated initiators and stereoselective polymerizations have no doubt opened a brand-new avenue for the design and exploration of polylactides and their copolymers.

Biocompatible Materials↗

PubMed1999

The biodegradation of poly(urethane)s by the esterolytic activity of serine proteases and oxidative enzyme systems.

Biodegradation of poly(urethane)s (PU)s using single enzymes in vitro was assessed by measuring radiolabel release from model poly(ester-urea-urethane) (PESU) and poly(ether-urea-urethane) (PETU) materials synthesized with 14C-labelled monomers. Cholesterol esterase (CE), an enzyme found in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM), has been reported to cause a significant level of radiolabel release from both of these PUs. Previous work has shown that CE activity could be inhibited by the serine protease/esterase inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. Since many serine proteases are present in circulating blood and can be released by cells other than MDM, this study investigated the ability of serine proteases relative to that of CE to cause the degradation of PUs. In addition, the possible role of several oxidative enzymes in the breakdown of PUs was investigated. Proteinase K, chymotrypsin and thrombin, when incubated with PESU, coated on glass slips, caused significant radiolabel release, with proteinase K giving the highest values. However, the highest radiolabel release which proteinase K could elicit was ten times less than CE. Thrombin and then chymotrypsin were progressively worse in their biodegradative activity. Only CE, and not the serine proteases, could elicit a detectable radiolabel release from PETU. Although the release of reactive oxygen species and molecular oxygen occur around an implanted biomaterial, several oxidative systems (peroxidase, xanthine oxidase, catalase), known to produce one or more of these molecular species, were unable to induce radiolabel release from these PUs. The process of biodegradation as assessed by radiolabel release appears to be a specific hydrolytic process, while the role of oxidative enzymes remains less clear.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2003

Autologous cardiomyocyte transplantation using a biodegradable polymer scaffold.

BACKGROUND: To achieve a more reliable way of transplanting cardiomyocytes, we conducted an autologous cardiomyocyte transplantation using a biodegradable scaffold, instead of a syringe injection, as a vehicle for transporting cells in an ovine myocardial infarction model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A myocardial infarction was created in sheep using sequential ligation of the homonymous artery and its diagonal branch. Autologous cardiomyocytes from the right ventricular infundibulum were cultured and seeded onto a biodegradable polymer scaffold. Three months after creating myocardial infarction, the two animals were re-anesthetized and cardiomyocyte-seeded scaffolds were implanted in the infarcted area. The animals were kept alive for a further month, and then sacrificed for postmortem heart examinations. Light microscopic analysis and an immunohistochemical study for myoglobin were performed. RESULTS: On postmortem gross examinations, the polymer scaffolds were visible in the background of well-demarcated thin-walled anteroseptal myocardial infarcts. Microscopic analysis showed abundant myoglobin-stained cells between the fiber strands of the polymer scaffolds. However, there is a possibility that some of these cells might have been giant cells reacting to foreign material. CONCLUSION: The transplantation of cultured autologous cardiomyocytes into an infarct region using a biodegradable scaffold instead of syringe injection provides another promising option for cardiomyocyte transplantation, which warrants further study.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Modelling for environmental assessment of municipal solid waste landfills (part II: biodegradation).

The biodegradation module of a simulation program for municipal solid waste landfills (MODUELO) was developed. The biodegradation module carries out the balance of organic material starting with the results of the hydrologic simulation and the waste composition. It simulates the biologic reactions of hydrolysis of solids and the gasification of the dissolved biodegradable material. The results of this module are: organic matter (COD, BOD and elemental components such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and ash), ammonium nitrogen generated with the gas and transported by the leachates and the potential rates of methane and carbon dioxide generation. The model was calibrated by using the general tendency curves of the pollutants recorded in municipal solid waste landfills, fitting the first part of them to available landfill data. Although the results show some agreement, further work is being done to make MODUELO a useful tool for real landfill simulation.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2004

Biodegradable cisplatin polymer in limb-sparing surgery for canine osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: The rate of local recurrence of osteosarcoma after limb-sparing surgery in dogs and humans has been reported up to 28%. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether a biodegradable cisplatin-containing implant (OPLA-Pt), inserted into the limb-sparing surgery site at the time of surgery, would decrease the rate of local recurrence. Secondary aims included evaluation of systemic toxicity associated with the release of cisplatin from the implant and identification of prognostic factors associated with limb-sparing surgery for osteosarcoma in dogs. METHODS: Eighty dogs with spontaneously occurring osteosarcoma were treated with limb-sparing surgery. They were randomized to receive the biodegradable implant either without cisplatin (control group) or with cisplatin (OPLA-Pt group) and were targeted to receive four doses of an adjuvant cisplatin chemotherapy protocol. RESULTS: Although this was not statistically significant (P =.071), dogs in the OPLA-Pt group were 53.5% less likely to develop local recurrence than dogs in the control group. There were no significant differences in systemic toxicity between treatment arms. Incomplete surgical resection, absence of infection, and fewer than four doses of adjuvant chemotherapy had a significant correlation with local recurrence and survival according to univariate analyses, although only incomplete surgical resection remained significant for local recurrence after multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Local tumor recurrence may be decreased after limb-sparing surgery by use of biodegradable implants impregnated with chemotherapeutic agents.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Effect of chondroitin sulfate on the biodegradation and drug release of chitosan gel beads in subcutaneous air pouches of mice.

Chitosan (CS) gel beads were prepared in 10% amino acid solution (pH 9) and modified by forming an electrostatic complex between the amino group of CS and the carboxyl group of chondroitin sulfate (Cho). Modification of the CS gel matrix by Cho inhibited the in vitro release of prednisolone (PS) from the gel beads. CS gel beads modified by Cho (CS-Cho) were implanted into air pouches (AP) prepared subcutaneously on the dorsal surfaces of mice. No inflammatory response was observed. The in vivo release of PS from CS-Cho gel beads and their biodegradation in the AP was slower than beads without Cho treatment. After 28 days of implantation, CS-Cho gel beads (deacetylation of CS: 90%) were still detectable, although they had become softer and smaller. Modification of the CS gel matrix by Cho controls the biodegradation of the beads and the release of the drug. This effect makes these beads a promising biocompatible and biodegradable vehicle for sustained drug delivery.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Biodegradable internal fixation for malleolar fractures. A prospective randomised trial.

Fifty-six patients with displaced malleolar fractures had open reduction and fixation of the fracture fragments using, by random selection, either biodegradable implants or metal AO plates and screws. The cylindrical biodegradable implants were made of polylactide-glycolide copolymer (polyglactin 910). The complications, radiographic results and functional recovery were studied prospectively. After follow-up of at least one year, no significant differences emerged in the complication rate or in the results of treatment between the two methods of fixation. Because of the advantage of avoiding the need to remove metal fixation after union, we now use biodegradable internal fixation routinely to treat displaced malleolar fractures.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Intracellular fate of hydrocarbons: possible existence of specific compartments for their biodegradation.

In previous work, purification procedures and zymogram analysis conducted with supernatants of crude extracts from aerobic mycelium of the YR-1 strain of Mucor circinelloides isolated from petroleum-contaminated soils indicated the existence of only one soluble alcohol oxidase (sAO) activity. In the present work enzymatic activity of alcohol oxidase (AO) was also detected in the mixed membrane fraction (MMF) of a high-speed centrifugation procedure after drastic ballistic cellular homogenization to break the mycelium from strain YR-1. When mycelial cells were gently broken by freezing the mycelium with liquid nitrogen, smashing in a mortar, and submitting the samples to an isopycnic sucrose gradients (10-60% sucrose), AO activity was detected in particular and discrete fractions of the gradient, showing specific density values quite different from the density of peroxisomes. The results suggest that there could be a different intracellular pattern of distribution of the microsomal fraction in aerobically grown mycelium depending on the carbon source used in the culture media, including alcohols and hydrocarbons, but not in glucose. In working with particulate fractions, we found two AO activities: a new membrane alcohol oxidase (mAO) activity and the sAO. Both activities appear to be located in the inner of the cells in specific compartments different from the peroxisomes, so mAO could be in the membrane of these compartments and sAO in the lumen of the vesicles. We also assayed other enzymatic activities involved in hydrocarbon biodegradation to establish its intracellular location and other enzymatic activities such as peroxidase to use them as intracellular markers of different organelles. In the case of monooxygenase, the first enzymatic step in the hydrocarbon biodegradation pathway, its location was in the same fractions where AOs were located, suggesting the existance of a specific organelle that contains the enzymatic activities involved in hydrocarbon biodegradation.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Biodegrader metabolic expansion during polyaromatic hydrocarbons rhizoremediation.

Root-microbe interactions are considered to be the primary process of polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) phytoremediation, since bacterial degradation has been shown to be the dominant pathway for environmental PAH dissipation. However, the precise mechanisms driving PAH rhizostimulation symbiosis remain largely unresolved. In this study, we assessed PAH degrading bacterial abundance in contaminated soils planted with 18 different native Michigan plant species. Phenanthrene metabolism assays suggested that each plant species differentially influenced the relative abundance of PAH biodegraders, though they generally were observed to increase heterotrophic and biodegradative cell numbers relative to unplanted soils. Further study of >1800 phenanthrene degrading isolates indicated that most of the tested plant species stimulated biodegradation of a broader range of PAH compounds relative to the unplanted soil bacterial consortia. These observations suggest that a principal contribution of planted systems for PAH bioremediation may be via expanded metabolic range of the rhizosphere bacterial community.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2004

Biodegradable polyester elastomers in tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering often makes use of biodegradable scaffolds to guide and promote controlled cellular growth and differentiation in order to generate new tissue. There has been significant research regarding the effects of scaffold surface chemistry and degradation rate on tissue formation and the importance of these parameters is widely recognised. Nevertheless, studies describing the role of mechanical stimuli during tissue development and function suggest that the mechanical properties of the scaffold will also be important. In particular, scaffold mechanics should be taken into account if mechanical stimulation, such as cyclic strain, will be incorporated into strategies to grow improved tissues or the target tissue to be replaced has elastomeric properties. Biodegradable polyesters, such as polyglycolide, polylactide and poly(lactide-co-glycolide), although commonly used in tissue engineering, undergo plastic deformation and failure when exposed to long-term cyclic strain, limiting their use in engineering elastomeric tissues. This review will cover the latest advances in the development of biodegradable polyester elastomers for use as scaffolds to engineer tissues, such as heart valves and blood vessels.

Animals↗