Enrichment and isolation of naphthalenesulfonic Acid-utilizing pseudomonads

Naphthalenesulfonate-degrading bacteria were obtained by continuous enrichment from a naphthalene-degrading population from sewage. In addition to naphthalene, Pseudomonas sp. A3 can utilize 2-naphthalenesulfonate (2NS) and Pseudomonas sp. C22 can utilize both 1-naphthalenesulfonate (1NS) and 2NS as sole carbon sources. In a mixture of 1NS and 2NS, the former substrate is utilized by strain C22 only after complete consumption of 2NS. During exponential growth, approximately 10% of the organic carbon of naphthalenesulfonates is temporarily excreted. These unidentified metabolites can readily be used by other bacteria, which, by supplying strain C22 with vitamins, allow optimal growth in stable mixed cultures. The degradative capability of Pseudomonas sp. A3 for 2NS was irreversibly lost under nonselective growth conditions and could be transferred from the wild type to a distinguishable cured strain of the wild type.