The detection of phenol degrading strain in environment with specific primer of phenol hydroxylase gene

A 684 bp oligonucleotide fragment was produced by PCR amplification from phenol-degrading strain Acinetobacter calcoaceticus PHEA-2 with the specific primers of gene encoding phenol hydroxylase. The nucleotide sequence of this fragment and its deduced amino acid sequence share 84% and 98% homology with the phenol hydroxylase gene and its deduced amino acid sequences of phenol-degrading strain Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIB8250. Sets of different aromatic compounds degrading strains were used to test this specific prime. The 684 bp-fragments were amplified only from phenol-degrading strains by PCR. When using this pair of primers to detect the bacterial isolates from wastewater discharged from coking plant, all the tested strains, which possess 684 bp characteristic fragment, showed the ability to degrade phenol in this study.