Transformation and Carbon Isotope Fractionation of Tetra- and Trichloroethene to Trans-Dichloroethene by Dehalococcoides sp. Strain CBDB1

Abstract

Dehalococcoides sp. strain CBDB1 reductively dechlorinated perchloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) to predominantly trans-1,2-dichloroethene (trans-DCE). Cell counting by direct microscopy showed that strain CBDB1 used PCE and TCE as electron acceptors for respiratory growth obtaining a growth yield of 3.9 × 10(12) cells per mol of chloride released in both cases. PCE and TCE were dechlorinated to trans- and cis-DCE at an average constant ratio of 3.4 (±0.2):1, which is consistent with the ratios found in several trans-DCE-producing sediments and soils containing uncultured Dehalococcoides-like species. Significant carbon isotope fractionation was observed during PCE and TCE reductive dehalogenation. The enrichment factor of TCE (εC = -11.2) was within the range of previously reported values for TCE dechlorination by other Dehalococcoides species although the tceA gene responsible for ethene generation in the latter cultures was absent in strain CBDB1. On the contrary, the enrichment factor of PCE (εC = -1.6) was 3.8-times lower than that obtained for Dehalococcoides sp. strain 195 although both strains shared a high similarity in the pceA gene responsible for PCE dechlorination in strain 195. In addition, the product-related enrichment factors for TCE dehalogenation were calculated based on product isotope signature of the two accumulated products cis-DCE (εC TCE→cis-DCE = -11.0) and trans-DCE (εC TCE→trans-DCE = -15.9). These results are of particular interest since strain CBDB1 constitutes, together with the recent isolated strain MB, the unique Dehalococcoides species unable to dechlorinate PCE and TCE beyond DCE.