Phosphonate utilization by bacteria

Abstract

Bacteria able to use at least 1 of 13 ionic alkylphosphonates or O-alkyl or O,O-dialkyl alkylphosphonates at P sources were isolated from sewage and soil. Four of these isolates used 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid (AEP) as a sole C, N and P source. None of the other phosphonates served as a C source for the organisms. One isolate, identified as Pseudomonas putida, grew with AEP as its sole C, N and P source and released nearly all of the organic P as orthophosphate and 72% of the AEP N as NH3. This is the 1st demonstration of utilization of a phosphonoalkyl moiety as a sole C source. Cell-free extracts of P. putida contained an inducible enzyme system that required pyruvate and pyridoxal phosphate to release orthophosphate from AEP; acetaldehyde was tentatively identified as a 2nd product. Phosphite inhibited the enzyme system.