Anaerobic Biodegradation of Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) by Acetobacterium malicum Strain HAAP-1 Isolated from a Methanogenic Mixed Culture

Abstract

In previous work, we studied the anaerobic biodegradation of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) by a methanogenic mixed culture that biodegrades RDX by using H₂ as the sole electron donor. Strain HAAP-1 was isolated after enriching for the homoacetogens in a mineral medium containing RDX and an H₂-CO₂ (80:20) headspace. Strain HAAP-1 degraded 29.0 μM RDX in <14 days and formed 13.0 mM acetate when grown in a mineral medium with an H₂-CO₂ headspace. Methylenedinitramine was observed as a transient intermediate, indicating ring cleavage had occurred. In live cultures containing an N₂-CO₂ headspace, RDX was not degraded, and no acetate was formed. The 16S rRNA gene sequence for strain HAAP-1, consisting of 1485 base pairs, had a 99.2% and 99.1% sequence similarity to Acetobacterium malicum and A. wieringae, respectively. This is the first report of RDX degradation by a homoacetogen growing autotrophically and extends the number of genera known to carry out this transformation.