Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Bacteria tolerant to organic solvents

S Isken1, J A de Bont

  • 1Department of Food Technology and Nutritional Sciences, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands. Sonja.Isken@algemeen.im.wau.nl

Extremophiles : Life Under Extreme Conditions
|October 23, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Certain bacteria can survive toxic organic solvents by adapting their cell membranes and using efflux systems. This discovery is key for advancing environmental biotechnology and chemical production.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Enhancement of Exopolysaccharide Production by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus NCFB 2772 with a Simplified Defined Medium.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2005
Same author

Regiospecific effect of 1-octanol on cis-trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids in the solvent-tolerant strain Pseudomonas putida S12.

Applied microbiology and biotechnology·2002
Same author

Transposon mutations in the flagella biosynthetic pathway of the solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas putida S12 result in a decreased expression of solvent efflux genes.

FEMS microbiology letters·2001
Same author

High-rate 3-methylcatechol production in Pseudomonas putida strains by means of a novel expression system.

Applied microbiology and biotechnology·2001
Same author

Integrated bioproduction and extraction of 3-methylcatechol.

Journal of biotechnology·2001
Same author

Production of 3-nitrocatechol by oxygenase-containing bacteria: optimization of the nitrobenzene biotransformation by Nocardia S3.

Applied microbiology and biotechnology·2001

Area of Science:

  • Environmental biotechnology
  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Organic solvents pose toxicity risks to whole cells, hindering their use in environmental biotechnology and chemical synthesis.
  • Solvent toxicity is linked to their accumulation in and disruption of cell membranes, often correlating with the octanol-water partition coefficient (log P(ow)).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on bacterial strains exhibiting tolerance to toxic organic solvents.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms underlying solvent survival in these exceptional microbial strains.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on bacterial solvent tolerance.
  • Analysis of reported mechanisms of adaptation and survival in the presence of organic solvents.

Main Results:

  • Bacterial strains have been identified that can grow in the presence of toxic organic solvents.
  • Mechanisms include alterations in cytoplasmic and outer membrane composition to maintain stability and limit solvent diffusion.
  • Enhanced phospholipid biosynthesis aids in repairing solvent-induced damage.
  • Active efflux systems have been identified that reduce intracellular solvent concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial solvent tolerance involves multiple adaptive strategies, including membrane modifications and active efflux.
  • Understanding these mechanisms opens new possibilities for using whole-cell biotransformations with organic solvents.
  • Further research into these bacterial strains can drive innovation in environmental biotechnology and fine chemical production.

Related Experiment Videos