The secondary metabolites geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) provide soil with its characteristic earthy-musty odour, being notably produced by the abundant spore-forming filamentous bacterial genus Streptomyces, among other Actinobacteria. Taste and odour (T&O) problems attributed to these compounds affect drinking water supplies worldwide, often occurring sporadically and untraced to their biological origins. A number of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms are recognised geosmin and 2-MIB producers in aquatic environments. However, the focus of this paper is to assess the potential contribution of Actinobacteria to this water quality issue. To date, the aquatic ecology of these bacteria remains poorly understood and debate surrounds whether they exist solely as dormant spores of terrestrial origin or are capable of growing and biosynthesising these odourous compounds in aquatic environments. The Actinobacteria which are known to produce geosmin and 2-MIB are identified and a critical assessment of habitats within aquatic environments in which they may be metabolically active residents and thus potential sources of T&O is provided. Current understandings of the chemical ecology and biosynthetic pathways of geosmin and 2-MIB, as well as the conditions under which these secondary metabolites are produced by Streptomyces, are reviewed.
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November 2013
This article was originally published in
Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua
Article Contents
Research Article|
August 26 2013
The role of Actinobacteria in taste and odour episodes involving geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol in aquatic environments
Elise Anne Asquith;
1School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
E-mail: [email protected]
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Craig Andrew Evans;
Craig Andrew Evans
1School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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Phillip Milton Geary;
Phillip Milton Geary
1School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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Richard Hugh Dunstan;
Richard Hugh Dunstan
1School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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Bruce Cole
Bruce Cole
2Hunter Water Corporation, 36 Honeysuckle Drive, Newcastle, NSW 2300, Australia
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Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua (2013) 62 (7): 452–467.
Article history
Received:
March 10 2013
Accepted:
July 11 2013
Citation
Elise Anne Asquith, Craig Andrew Evans, Phillip Milton Geary, Richard Hugh Dunstan, Bruce Cole; The role of Actinobacteria in taste and odour episodes involving geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol in aquatic environments. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 November 2013; 62 (7): 452–467. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.055
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