Biotecnología

 

Cometabolismo en la biodegradación de hidrocarburos

 

Cometabolism the biodegradation of hydrocarbons

 

M. García–Rivero¹* y M. R. Peralta–Pérez²

 

¹ Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Ecatepec, Laboratorio de Catálisis Enzimática, División de Ciencias Químicas y Bioquímicas, Av. Tecnológico s/n, Col. Valle de Anáhuac, C.P. 55210, Ecatepec de Morelos, Edo. de México, México. * Autor para la correspondencia: E–mail: mgarcia@tese.edu.mx Tel. 50 00 23 00 ext. 2227; Fax: 50 00 23 00 ext. 2304

² Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Alvarado, División de Ciencias Básicas, Escollera s/n Col. La Trocha, C.P. 95250, Alvarado Ver., México.

 

Recibido 4 de Septiembre 2006
Aceptado 4 de Abril 2008

 

Resumen

El cometabolismo microbiano, es decir, la transformación de un compuesto, llamado cosustrato, en presencia obligada de un sustrato durante el crecimiento o por células en reposo en ausencia del sustrato de crecimiento es parte fundamental de la eliminación biológica de compuestos xenobióticos en el ambiente. En este trabajo se hace especial énfasis en la biodegradación de hidrocarburos, debido a su amplio uso y distribución como contaminantes. Se hace un análisis de los alcances y limitaciones de modelos que explican la cinética del cometabolismo, basados en la ecuación de Monod o Michaelis–Menten, modelando el consumo del sustrato y cosustrato de manera independiente; se incluyen modelos que explican el efecto tóxico del cosustrato o una inhibición de tipo competitiva. Finalmente, se describe la aplicación del cometabolismo para la biorremediación in situ, cuyos avances se han centrado básicamente en la transformación del metil–terbutil–éter (MTBE) y en hidrocarburos alifáticos clorados (HACs) entre los cuales destaca el tricloroetileno (TCE).

Palabras clave: cometabolismo, hidrocarburos, cinética, enzimas.

 

Abstract

Microbial cometabolism, i.e. transformation of a non–growth substrate, namely cosubstrate, in the obligate presence of a growth substrate by growing cells, or by resting cells in the absent of a growth substrate, is a significant part of the total biodegradative activity toward xenobiotic compounds. In this work the importance of cometabolism in the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in the environment is discussed, due to hydrocarbons are the most common groundwater and soil pollutants. Varieties of kinetic equations, Monod or like Michaeles–Menten expressions that have been used to describe cometabolism are discussed; these models assumed that biodegradation takes place as single substrate and the interaction of growth– and non–growth substrate are described as toxic effect or competitive imhibition. Finally, the applicability of the cometabolism for in situ bioremediation is discussed, Methyl tert–Butyl Ether– and halogenated hydrocarbons are the most widespread studied compounds.

Keywords: cometabolism, hydrocarbons, kinetics, enzymes.

 

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