Rg. Mattison et S. Harayama, The predatory soil flagellate Heteromita globosa stimulates toluene biodegradation by a Pseudomonas sp., FEMS MICROB, 194(1), 2001, pp. 39-45
A model food chain was established to investigate the influence of grazing
by flagellates on bacteria degrading toluene in batch culture. The rate of
toluene consumed by a Pseudomonas sp. strain PS+ (max. 0.37 fmol cell(-1) h
(-1)) was significantly higher in the presence of the bacterivorous flagell
ate Heteromita globosa (max. 1.38 fmol cell(-1) h-l). A maximum increase of
up to 7.5 limes was observed in the rate of toluene consumed by these bact
eria during exponential growth of this flagellate. Carbon conversion effici
ency (CCE) of bacteria to flagellate biomass was estimated to be 33.4% base
d on measured biovolumes and published values for carbon contents. However,
the CCE for toluene-derived carbon was lower (max. 4.9%) when calculations
were based on incorporation of [ring-U-C-14]toluene into biomass of flagel
lates grazing on labelled bacteria. The findings suggest a potential role f
or flagellates in bioremediation processes. (C) 2001 Federation of European
Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r
eserved.