Chloroethenes, including vinyl chloride, are widespread groundwater pollutants. A comparative genomic analysis revealed that the vinyl chloride reductase operon, vcrABC, of Dehalococcoides sp. strain VS is embedded in a horizontally-acquired genomic island that integrated at the single-copy gene ssrA. The high similarity between vcrABC sequences from diverse Dehalococcoides is quantitatively consistent with recent horizontal acquisition driven by ~100 years of industrial pollution with chlorinated ethenes. Moreover, most rdh genes relevant for bioremediation appear to be predominantly acquired by Dehaloccooides via this mechanism.This talk will discuss the implications of these finding for development and use of molecular tools for monitoring and predicting in situ remediation of chloroethenes via anaerobic reductive dehalogenases.

Reductive dehalogenation of chloroethenes: Lessons learnt from comparative genomics

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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