10.1021/es1002023.s001
Amy V. Callaghan
Amy V.
Callaghan
Irene A. Davidova
Irene A.
Davidova
Kristen Savage-Ashlock
Kristen
Savage-Ashlock
Victoria A. Parisi
Victoria A.
Parisi
Lisa M. Gieg
Lisa M.
Gieg
Joseph M. Suflita
Joseph M.
Suflita
Jerome J. Kukor
Jerome J.
Kukor
Boris Wawrik
Boris
Wawrik
Diversity of Benzyl- and Alkylsuccinate Synthase Genes in Hydrocarbon-Impacted Environments and Enrichment Cultures
American Chemical Society
2010
alkane degradation
ALDC
aliphatic hydrocarbon biodegradation
PCR
Alkylsuccinate Synthase Genes
ASS
assA genes
BSS
DNA
biomarker
2010-10-01 00:00:00
Journal contribution
https://acs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Diversity_of_Benzyl_and_Alkylsuccinate_Synthase_Genes_in_Hydrocarbon_Impacted_Environments_and_Enrichment_Cultures/2725210
Hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms play an important role in the natural attenuation of spilled petroleum in a variety of anoxic environments. The role of benzylsuccinate synthase (BSS) in aromatic hydrocarbon degradation and its use as a biomarker for field investigations are well documented. The recent discovery of alkylsuccinate synthase (ASS) allows the opportunity to test whether its encoding gene, <i>assA</i>, can serve as a comparable biomarker of anaerobic alkane degradation. Degenerate <i>assA</i>- and <i>bssA</i>-targeted PCR primers were designed in order to survey the diversity of genes associated with aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in petroleum-impacted environments and enrichment cultures. DNA was extracted from an anaerobic alkane-degrading isolate (<i>Desulfoglaeba alkenexedens</i> ALDC), hydrocarbon-contaminated river and aquifer sediments, a paraffin-degrading enrichment, and a propane-utilizing mixed culture. Partial <i>assA</i> and <i>bssA</i> genes were PCR amplified, cloned, and sequenced, yielding several novel clades of <i>assA</i> genes. These data expand the range of alkane-degrading conditions for which relevant gene sequences are available and indicate that considerable diversity of <i>assA</i> genes can be found in hydrocarbon-impacted environments. The detection of genes associated with anaerobic alkane degradation in conjunction with the in situ detection of alkylsuccinate metabolites was also demonstrated. Comparable molecular signals of <i>assA</i>/<i>bssA</i> were not found when environmental metagenome databases of uncontaminated sites were searched. These data confirm that the <i>assA</i> gene is a useful biomarker for anaerobic alkane metabolism.