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The group of Ute Lechner

Dehalogenation of dioxins and chlorophenols

Ute Lechner

Ute Lechner

Reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated compounds by anaerobic bacteria

A great variety of chlorinated organic compounds has been produced by humans and was intentionally and unintentionally released into the environment. Some of these compounds, e.g. the so-called Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) hexachlorobenzene, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans possess a high toxicity and accumulate in anaerobic habitats. Some anaerobic bacteria like members of the genus Dehalococcoides are capable to use these compounds as terminal electron acceptors in an anaerobic respiration, called dehalorespiration. Dehalococcoides is highly specialized to dehalorespiration, which is reflected by a high number of dehalogenase genes in the genome. To understand this unique life style, we investigate the function of the individual dehalogenase genes and their regulation in response to different halogenated compounds using methods of molecular biology, biochemistry and microbiology.

Changes of the microbial community structure during a self-heating composting process

Composting is an energy-saving treatment for organic waste including animal material. The aerobic, self-heating process can lead to temperatures around 60-70 °C. A one-hour period at 70 °C is required by EU laws to ensure the sanitation of the waste material. We analyse the microbial community composition and its changes during the composting process to identify bacteria, which contribute to self-heating and grow well at high temperatures. Using a cultivation-independent approach, bacteria are detected and quantified by a set of 16S rRNA-gene based methods. Suitable bacteria are isolated and characterised with respect to its contribution to the composting process.

MEMBERS OF THE GROUP

Ute Lechner, PD Dr. habil.
Room 204
Phone: +49 345 5526353 (office), +49 345 5526354 (lab), Fax: 049 345 5527010
E-mail:

Barbara Zessin (laboratory technician)
Room 212, Phone: +49 345 5526354

Kornelia Worm (PhD student)
Room 212, Phone: +49 345 5526354
E-mail:

Stefanie Hartwig (student)
Room 204, Phone: +49 345 5526355

Lydia Segler (student)
Room 204, Phone: +49 345 5526355

Marlen Pöritz (PhD student)
Room 204, Phone: +49 345 5526355
E-mail:

From left to right: Dr Ute Lechner, Marlen Pöritz, Carina Würfel, Kornelia Worm, Kristin Schulz, Barbara Zessin

From left to right: Dr Ute Lechner, Marlen Pöritz, Carina Würfel, Kornelia Worm, Kristin Schulz, Barbara Zessin

From left to right: Dr Ute Lechner, Marlen Pöritz, Carina Würfel, Kornelia Worm, Kristin Schulz, Barbara Zessin

PUBLICATIONS

Bunge, M., Lechner, U. (2009) Anaerobic reductive dehalogenation of polychlorinated dioxins. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 84, 429-444.

Wagner, A., Adrian, L., Kleinsteuber, S., Andreesen, J. R., Lechner, U. (2009) Transcription analysis of genes encoding homologues of reductive dehalogenases in "Dehalococcoides" sp. strain CBDB1 by using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and quantitative PCR. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75, 1876-1884.

Bunge, M., Wagner, A., Fischer, M., Andreesen, J. R., Lechner, U. (2008) Enrichment of a dioxin-dehalogenating Dehalococcoides species in two-liquid phase cultures. Environ. Microbiol. 10, 2670-2683.

Ewald, E.-M., Wagner, A., Nijenhuis, I., Richnow, H.-H., Lechner, U. (2007) Microbial dehalogenation of trichlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins by a Dehalococcoides-containing mixed culture is coupled to carbon isotope fractionation. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41, 7744-7751.

Breitenstein, A., Andreesen, J. R., Lechner, U. (2007) Analysis of an anaerobic chemostat population stably dechlorinating 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. Eng. Life Sci. 7, 380-387.

Lechner, U., Brodkorb, D., Geyer, R., Hause, G., Härtig, C., Auling, G., Fayolle-Guichard, F., Piveteau, P., Müller, R. H., Rohwerder, T. (2007) Aquincola tertiaricarbonis gen. nov., sp. nov., a tertiary butyl moiety-degrading bacterium. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57, 1295-1303.

Bunge, M., Kähkönen, M. A., Rämisch, W., Opel, M., Vogler, S., Walkow, F., Salkinoja-Salonen, M., Lechner, U. (2007) Biological activity in a heavily organohalogen-contaminated river sediment. ESPR – Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 14, Special Issue, 1-3.

Rohwerder, T., Breuer, U., Benndorf, D., Lechner, U., Müller, R. H. (2006) The alkyl tert-butyl ether intermediate 2-hydroxyisobutyrate is degraded via a novel cobalamin-dependent mutase pathway. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72, 4128-4135.

Lechner, U., Bunge, M., Adrian, L. (2004) Reduktive Dehalogenierung von chlorierten Benzolen und Dioxinen. Biospektrum10, Heft 5/04, 630-632.

Ballerstedt, H., Hantke, J., Bunge, M., Werner, B., Gerritse, J., Andreesen, J. R., Lechner, U. (2004) Properties of a trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-dechlorinating mixed culture with a Dehalococcoides as a putative dehalogenating species. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 47, 223-234.

Adrian, L., Lechner, U. (2004) Reductive dehalogenation of polychlorinated benzenes and dioxins. In: Nakano, M. M., and Zuber, P., Strict and facultative anaerobes. Medical and environmental aspects, Horizon Bioscience, Norfolk, England, pp. 303-315.

Bunge, M., Adrian, L., Kraus, A., Opel, M., Lorenz, W. G., Andreesen, J. R., Görisch, H., Lechner, U. (2003) Reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated dioxins by an anaerobic bacterium, Nature 421, 357-360

Breitenstein, A., Wiegel, J., Haertig, C., Weiss, N., Andreesen, J. R., Lechner, U. (2002) Reclassification of Clostridium hydroxybenzoicum as Sedimentibacter hydroxybenzoicus gen. nov., comb. nov. and description of Sedimentibacter saalensis sp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 52, 801-807.

Breitenstein, A., Saano, A., Salkinoja-Salonen, M., Andreesen, J. R., Lechner, U. (2001) Analysis of a 2,4,6-trichlorophenol-dehalogenating mixed culture and isolation of the dehalogenating member Desulfitobacterium frappieri strain TCP-A. Arch. Microbiol. 175, 133-142.

Bunge, M., Ballerstedt, H., Lechner, U. (2001) Regiospecific dechlorination of spiked tetra- and trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxins by anaerobic bacteria from PCDD/F-contaminated Spittelwasser sediments. Chemosphere, 43, 675-681.

Bunge, M, Lechner, U. (2001) Anaerobic transformation of dioxins by bacteria from contaminated sediments: diversity of the dehalogenating community. In: Schriftenreihe des Sonderforschungsbereiches 193 der Technischen Univeristät Berlin „Biologische Behandlung industrieller und gewerblicher Abwässer", Bd. 15: Anaerobic dehalogenation, S. 69-81.

Bunge, M., Werner, B., Lechner, U. (2000) Properties of a dioxin-dechlorinating microbial consortium from an acidic sulfate-rich river sediment. Organohalogen Compounds, 45, 456-459.

Bunge, M., Ballerstedt, H., Lechner, U. (1999) Different regioselectivities of reductive dioxin-dechlorination by anaerobic bacteria from river sediments of the Bitterfeld district. Organohalogen Compounds 41, 387-390.

Fritsche, K., Lechner, U. (1999). Defluvibacter lusatiae gen. nov., sp. nov., a new chlorophenol-degrading member of the -2 subgroup of the Proteobacteria. System. Appl. Microbiol. 22, 197-204.

Ballerstedt, H., Werner, B., Gerritse, J., Lechner, U. 1998. Anaerobic bacteria from sediments dechlorinate dioxin congeners. In: Microbiology of polluted aquatic ecosystems, pp. 58-64 (Becker, P. M., ed.). Proceedings of the workshop held at UFZ, Leipzig 4.-5. Dec. 1997.

Fritsche, K., Lechner, U. 1998. Molecular biology of chlorophenol degradation catalyzed by a bacterium of the Rhizobiaceae group. In: Microbiology of polluted aquatic ecosystems, pp. 102-108 (Becker, P. M., ed.). Proceedings of the workshop held at UFZ, Leipzig 4.-5. Dec. 1997.

Ballerstedt, H., Kraus, A., Lechner, U. 1997. Reductive dechlorination of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and its products by anaerobic mixed cultures from Saale river sediment. Environ. Sci. Technol. 31, 1749-1753.

Makdessi, K., Lechner, U. 1997. Purification and characterization of 2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase isolated from a bacterium of the alpha-2 subgroup of the Proteobacteria. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 157, 95-101.

Lechner, U., Baumbach, R., Becker, D., Kitunen, V., Auling, G., Salkinoja-Salonen, M. 1995. Degradation of 4-chloro-2-methylphenol by an activated sludge isolate and its taxonomic description. Biodegradation 6, 83-92.

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