2. SUPER BUGS
• Superbugs are strains of bacteria, viruses, parasites and
fungi that are genetically modified gene or a gene altered
from another organism.
• Super bugs are constructed bacterium or fungi that can
ability to degrade the hydrocarbons(in pollution aspect).
• It is a multi plasmid strain developed using genetic
engineering.
3. HISTORY
• Prof. ANANADA CHAKRABORTY et al.(1980) developed
and patented a superbug that degrade the hydrocarbons.
• Transformed pseudomonas putida with plasmids derived
for four different bacterias involved in degradation
process.
4. SUPERBUG SPECIES
• Organism by pseudomonas putida
• It is gram negative, rod shaped, saprophytic and soil brone.
• It is for wild type
• Based on 16s rRNA analysis.
• Size – 0.7- 1.1/2.4 mu.meter
5. FOUR TYPES OF PLASMID
• CAM plasmid
• OCT plasmid
• XYL plasmid
• NAH plasmid
The bacterial containing CAM Plasmid could degrade camphor compounds.
the strain containg OCT plasmid could degrade octane, hexane and decane.
The strain containing XYL Plasmid could degrade xylene and toluene.
The strain containing NAH plasmid could degrade napthenes.
6. CONJGATIVE TRANSFER OF PLASMID
• The strain A containing CAM Plasmid is matted with strain B containing OCT
Plasmid.
• During this process CAM Plasmid is transferred from strain A&B.
• Inside the bacterial strain B, CAM Plasmid undergo homologous recombination , so
that a large CAM-OCT Plasmid is formed. thus the strain becomes strain E.
• The strain C contains XYL Plasmid is mated with strain D containing NAH Plasmid.
• During the conjugation XYL of strain C enters the strain D. thus strain D becomes
strain F containing both XYL and NAH Plasmids.
7. • The strain E and strain F are mated to transfer CAM-OCT Plasmid into strain
F.
• Because of the plasmid transfer, strain F becomes strain G.
• The strain G has three plasmids, namely CAM-OCT Plasmid XYL-NAH
Plasmid.
• It can degrade camphor, octane, xylene and napthenes.
• It is named as superbug because of its high metabolic capabilities.
9. MECHANISM
• The degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons can be modified by specific enzyme
system oxygenases, cytochrome p450 alkane hydrolyses.
• Attachment of microbial cells to substrates.
• Production of biosurfactants- surface enhances solubilization and removal of
contaminants.
• Biodegradation is also enchanced by surfactants due to increased bioavailability of
pollutants.
• Petroleum products contain cycloalkenes(Octanes), napthaenes, xylene, toluene and
aromatic hydrocarbons.
• These are degraded by modified superbugs.
10. USAGE OF SUPERBUGS
• The genetic engineering approaches are used by genetic engineers to
construct new strains of microbes (Genetically engineered microorganisms,
GEMs or transgenic microorganisms) that have the unique characteristics
compared to the wild type and broad spectrum recycling of polystyrene
foam, otherwise thought to be not biodegradable.
• Other examples of bioremediation by microorganisms-Scientists have
developed Anabaena sp. and Nostoc Ellipsosporum by the insertion of linA (from
P. paucimobilus) and fcbABC (from Arthrobacter globiformis) respectively.
11. • The gene lineA controls the biodegradation of lindane (γhexachlorocyclohexane),
and fcbABC confers the ability to biodegrade halobenzoates and can be used to
remediate these pollutants from water sources.
• There are several developments in GEMs which overcome the limits of using wild
type microbes. Microbes are confined to aerobic catabolic and cometabolic
pathways and therefore cannot be applied to anaerobic environment.
• GEMs are developed by inserting genes for oxygenases make it possible to use
them in anaerobic environmental conditions. One must consider all the xenobiotics
present in multi-contaminated sites before applying microbes for bioremediation.
• GEMs offer the properties of many microbes due to the insertion of genes in a
single microorganism. ThereforeGEMs can be used successfully for bioremediation
purpose.
