Degradation of bromacil by a Pseudomonas sp.

A gram-negative rod, identified as a Pseudomonas sp., was isolated from soil by using bromacil as the sole source of carbon and energy. During growth on bromacil or 5-bromouracil, almost stoichiometric amounts of bromide were released. The bacterium was shown to harbor two plasmids approximately 60 and 100 kilobases in size. They appeared to be associated with the ability to utilize bromacil as a sole source of carbon and also with resistance to ampicillin. This microorganism also showed the potential to decontaminate soil samples fortified with bromacil under laboratory conditions.