Direct Link between Toluene Degradation in Contaminated-Site Microcosms and a Polaromonas Strain

Stable isotope probing (SIP) was used to identify the aerobic toluene-degrading microorganism in soil microcosms. Several approaches (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and quantitative PCR) provided evidence that the microorganism responsible was a member of the genus Polaromonas and could grow on toluene. This microorganism also transformed benzene, but not m-xylene or cis-dichloroethene.