Physiological potential of the anaerobic naphthalene-degrading enrichment culture N47: Genomic, proteomic and stable isotope studies.

Anaerobic degradation of naphthalene is an important process during bioremediation of aromatic hydrocarbon spills. Carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation has been measured during anaerobic naphthalene degradation. It could be shown that the Compound Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA) of hydrogen serves to assess and quantify degradation in the subsurface. Proteogenomic investigations with naphthalene-degrading sulphate-reducing enrichment culture N47 provided strong hints for a carboxylation as initial step in anaerobic naphthalene degradation. The genome has been sequenced and the proteome of different growth conditions has been mapped. N47 is the first organism containing a complete TCA cycle and carbon monoxide dehydrogenase pathway