Alcaligenes and Acinetobacter strains capable of degrading polychlorinated biphenyls.

Microbial characteristics of two bacterial strains, of Alcaligenes and Acinetobacter capable of assimilating biphenyl and 4-chlorobiphenyl as a sole source of carbon have been studied with respect to polychlorinated biphenyl degradation. A variety of aromatic compounds were examined for the growth and O2 uptake of the organisms, It was observed that these organisms were able to adsorb 14C-2, 5, 2'-trichlorobiphenyl onto the cell surface in a short time and then gradually metabolized the adsorped one. The metabolites were moved into aqueous layer from the cells. Several spots including a yellow colored intermediate, i.e. meta cleavage product, and 2, 5-dichlorobenzoic acid as main products were detected on a thin-layer chromatography and subsequent autoradiography. However, neither incorporation of 14C-metabolites into the cell constituents nor 14CO2 evolution was observed.