Detection of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene-Utilizing Anaerobic Bacteria by ¹⁵ N and ¹³ C Incorporation

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene ((15)N or (13)C labeled) was added to Norfolk Harbor sediments to test whether anaerobic bacteria use TNT for growth. Stable-isotope probing (SIP)-terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) detected peaks in the [(15)N]TNT cultures (60, 163, and 168 bp). The 60-bp peak was also present in the [(13)C]TNT cultures and was related to Lysobacter taiwanensis.