Various microbial activities determine the effectiveness of bioremediation processes. In this work, we evaluated the feasibility of gene array hybridization for monitoring the efficiency of biodegradation processes. Biodegradation of 14C-labelled naphthalene and toluene by the aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading Pseudomonas putida F1, P. putida mt-2 and P. putida G7 was followed in mixed liquid culture microcosm by a preliminary, nylon membrane-based gene array. In the beginning of the study, toluene was degraded rapidly and increased amount of toluene degradation genes was detected by the preliminary gene array developed for the study. After toluene was degraded, naphthalene mineralization started and the amount of naphthalene degradation genes increased as biodegradation proceeded. The amount of toluene degradation genes decreased towards the end of the study. The hybridization signal intensities determined by preliminary gene array were in good agreement with mineralization of naphthalene and toluene and with the amount of naphthalene dioxygenase and toluene dioxygenase genes quantified by dot blot hybridization. The clear correlation between the results obtained by the preliminary array and the biodegradation process suggests that gene array methods can be considered as a promising tool for monitoring the efficiency of biodegradation processes.

中文翻译：

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通过监测几个功能基因评估芳香烃的生物降解。

各种微生物活动决定了生物修复过程的有效性。在这项工作中，我们评估了基因阵列杂交在监测生物降解过程效率方面的可行性。在混合液体培养的缩影中，通过基于尼龙膜的初步基因阵列，对芳香族烃降解假单胞菌F1，恶臭假单胞菌mt-2和恶臭假单胞菌G7进行14C标记的萘和甲苯的生物降解。在研究开始时，甲苯被快速降解，并且通过为该研究开发的初步基因阵列检测到甲苯降解基因的数量增加。甲苯降解后，萘开始矿化，随着生物降解的进行，萘降解基因的数量增加。到研究结束时，甲苯降解基因的数量减少。通过初步基因阵列确定的杂交信号强度与萘和甲苯的矿化以及通过斑点印迹杂交定量的萘双加氧酶和甲苯双加氧酶基因的量高度吻合。初步阵列与生物降解过程获得的结果之间的明确关联表明，基因阵列方法可以被视为监测生物降解过程效率的有前途的工具。