Growth of a bacterial consortium on triclosan

Triclosan is a polychlorinated hydroxy diphenylether that has been widely used as an antimicrobial compound. An enrichment using triclosan as a sole source of carbon and energy yielded a consortium of bacteria capable of growing on this compound. The dichloro ring was partially mineralized, resulting in the conversion of approximately 35% of the [C-14]triclosan to [C-14]CO2. Use of molecular Fingerprinting: techniques and 16S rDNA cloning and sequencing aided in the identification and eventual isolation of an auxotrophic Sphingomonas-like organism, strain Rdl, which was able to partially mineralize triclosan when grown on complex media. (C) 2001 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.