Biology and Medicine

Abstract

Effect of glucose and chloramphenicol on ABS biodegradation by a bacterial consortium

SK Awasthi, M Ashfaq, S Singh

A variety of environmental inocula were tested for the development of 2-aminobenzenesulfonate (2-ABS) degrading bacterial enrichment. A bacterial consortium (BC) consisting of two strains, which could utilize 2-ABS as the sole carbon and energy sources under aerobic conditions, could only be developed from the sludge derived from wastewater treatment facility of a large organic chemical industry manufacturing nitro and amino aromatics. These strains have been identified, to be belonging to the genus, Acinetobacter and Flavobacterium, by 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. 2-ABS removal pattern in the presence of glucose was significantly influenced by acclimation characteristics of the culture. Consortium adapted to 2-ABS/glucose demonstrated the concomitant removal of both substrates, whereas initial glucose utilization and diauxic growth pattern were observed with glucose adapted culture. These results along with the effect of chloramphenicol showed that the 2-ABS degrading enzymes are inducible in nature.