Phosphate-independent utilization of phosphonoacetic acid as sole phosphorus source by a psychrophilic strain of Geomyces pannorum P15

Magdalena Klimek-Ochab

doi:10.1007/s12223-014-0309-3

Magdalena Klimek-Ochab

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-014-0309-3

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Abstract

A psychrophilic fungal strain of Geomyces pannorum P15 was screened for its ability to utilize a range of synthetic and natural organophosphonate compounds as the sole source of phosphorus, nitrogen, or carbon. Only phosphonoacetic acid served as a phosphorus source for microbial growth in phosphate-independent manner. Substrate metabolism did not lead to extracellular release of inorganic phosphate. No phosphonate metabolizing enzyme activity was detectable in cell-free extracts prepared from Geomyces biomass pregrown on 2 mmol/L phosphonoacetic acid.

Highlights

In the last few years, increased attention has been focused on a class of organisms called psychrophiles
We report for the first time that a psychrophilic fungal strain of Geomyces pannorum P15 was able to utilize Phosphonoacetic acid (PA) as a source of phosphorus in the phosphate-independent manner
A strain of G. pannorum P15 was found to grow in modified Czapek liquid medium containing the PA at 2-mmol/L concentration as the only source of phosphorus

Summary

Introduction

In the last few years, increased attention has been focused on a class of organisms called psychrophiles. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic, were found widely in natural and artificial cold environments (Georlette et al 2004) They produce a variety of cold-adapted enzymes to carry out metabolism efficiently under cold conditions. Various enzymes from psychrophilies and psychrotolerants have strong potential for Organophosphonates are substances characterized by the presence of a carbon atom covalently bound to a phosphorus atom. This very stable bond occurs in a number of industrial, agricultural, medical, and household cleaning products (Nowack 2003), a fact that is raising increasing concerns due to their possible negative environment impact (Fenner et al 2013). The catabolism of organophosphonic acids by the carbon–phosphorus (CP) lyase pathway of Escherichia coli and numerous other bacteria requires the gene product of the 14-cistron phn operon, and both mechanism of CP bond cleavage and genetics of this process is still extensively studied (Kamat et al 2011; Kamat et al 2013; Hove-Jansen et al 2011; He et al 2011; Jochimsen et al 2011)

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