Microbial community changes associated with a shift from reductive dechlorination of PCE to reductive dechlorination of cis-DCE and VC

Subcultures that reductively dechlorinate cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) or vinyl chloride (VC) were derived from three independent enrichments that completely dechlorinated tetrachloroethene (PCE) to ethene in order to study the reductive dechlorination of the lesser chlorinated ethenes. These subcultures completely dechlorinated cis-DCE and VC and could be transferred indefinitely in basal salts minimal medium with H-2 as the electron donor. After 10 transfers (1% V/V) the cis-DCE and VC-dechlorinating subcultures from two of the PCE enrichments failed to dechlorinate PCE, but the subcultures from the third PCE enrichment maintained the ability to dechlorinate PCE. Analysis of the 16S rRNA genes from these enrichments by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) demonstrated shifts in the community composition of the subcultures that had lost the PCE-dechlorinating activity but not in the subcultures that maintained the PCE-dechlorinating activity. Analysis of the changes in community composition of the different enrichments suggested that at least two populations were responsible for the sequential dechlorination of PCE to ethene in these cultures and that consortia can cooperate in the complete dechlorination of PCE.