Summary
Sixteen bacterial strains capable of degrading alkylbenzenes and alkylphenols were directly isolated from soil and water. The degradation pathways are discussed. Alkylcatechols are almost exclusively cleaved via meta-ring fission. Meta-cleavage of 3-trifluoromethyl-(TFM)-catechol was observed with all strains at different rates although the reaction rates compared to catechol as a substrate varied considerably. All 2-hydroxy-6-oxohepta-2,4-dienoic acid hydrolases investigated showed strong binding of 7,7,7-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-6-oxohepta-2,4-dienoic acid, the ring fission product of 3-TFM-catechol. Turnover rates, however, were negligible indicating this compound to be a general dead-end metabolite during metabolism of TFM-substituted compounds via meta-cleavage pathways.
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Engesser, KH., Rubio, M.A. & Knackmuss, HJ. Bacterial metabolism of side-chain-fluorinated aromatics: unproductive meta-cleavage of 3-trifluoromethylcatechol. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 32, 600–608 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00173734
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00173734