Quantitative PCR for tracking the megaplasmid-borne biodegradation potential of a model sphingomonad

Abstract

We developed a quantitative PCR method for tracking the dxnA1 gene, the initial, megaplasmid-borne gene in Sphingomonas wittichii RW1's dibenzo-p-dioxin degradation pathway. We used this method on complex environmental samples and report on growth of S. wittichii RW1 in landfill leachate, thus furnishing a novel tool for monitoring megaplasmid-borne, dioxygenaseencoding genes. © 2012, American Society for Microbiology.