Three dehalogenases and physiological restraints in the biodegradation of haloalkanes by Arthrobacter sp. strain HA1

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · Water Resources Research; (USA)

OSTI ID:5131719

Scholtz, R; Messi, F; Leisinger, T; Cook, A M ^[1]

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1. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (Switzerland)

Arthrobacter sp. strain HA1 utilizes 18 C{sub 2}-to-C{sub 8} 1-haloalkanes for growth and synthesizes an inducible 1-bromoalkane debrominase of unknown physiological function in addition to an inducible 1-chlorohexane halidohydrolase which dehalogenates some 50 substrates, including {alpha},{omega}-dihaloalkanes were utilized by cultures of strain HA1 under certain conditions only. Kinetics of growth and substrate utilization indicated that cells of strain HA1 growing in butanol-salts medium could be used to test whether compounds induced the 1-chlorohexane halidohydrolase. No gratuitous induction of synthesis of the enzyme was observed. Many enzyme substrates (e.g., bromobenzene) did not induce synthesis of the enzyme, though the enzyme sequence to degrade the product (phenol) was present. Some inducers (e.g., bromomethane) were enzyme substrates but not growth substrates. In an attempt to find a physiological role for the 1-bromoalkane debrominase, we observed that several long-chain haloaliphatic compounds (>C{sub 9}; e.g., 1-bromohexadecane and 1-chlorohexadecane) were utilized for growth and that induced cells could dehalogenate several 1-haloalkanes (at least C{sub 4} to C{sub 16}). The dehalogenation of the long-chain compounds could not be assayed in the cell extract, so we presume that a third haloalkane dehalogenase was present. All dehalogenations were equally active in the presence or absence of molecular oxygen and were presumed to be hydrolytic.

• OSTI ID: 5131719
• Journal Information: Water Resources Research; (USA), Vol. 54:12; ISSN 0043-1397
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
METABOLISM
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
BIODEGRADATION
HYDROLASES
ENZYME ACTIVITY
AFFINITY
BROMINE COMPOUNDS
ENZYME INDUCTION
PHENOL
SUBSTRATES
TOXICITY
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENZYMES
GENE REGULATION
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
550500* - Metabolism