Complete mineralization of dodecyldimethylamine using a two-membered bacterial culture

Complete degradation of dodecyldimethylamine was achieved using a two-membe red bacterial culture isolated from activated sludge. One member, identifie d as Burkholderia cepacia, was capable of degrading the alkyl chain of the molecule. The other member, identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, was able to degrade dimethylamine, the product of the former. Batch culture ex periments revealed that the two-membered culture consisting of B. cepacia a nd S. maltophilia was based on a commensalistic relationship under carbon-l imited conditions. Under nitrogen-limited conditions, the relationship of t his culture was transformed from a commensalistic to a mutualistic one. A t wo-membered culture was therefore imperative for growth on dodecyldimethyla mine under nitrogen-limited conditions, whereas a pure culture of B. cepaci a was capable of growth on dodecyldimethylamine under carbon-limited condit ions.