Biotransformation of nitrobenzene by bacteria containing toluene degradative pathways

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5946358

Haigler, B E; Spain, J C ^[1]

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1. Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency, Tyndall AFB, FL (United States)

Nonpolar nitroaromatic compounds have been considered resistant to attack by oxygenases because of the electron withdrawing properties of the nitro group. The authors have investigate the ability of seven bacterial strains containing toluene degradative pathways to oxidize nitrobenzene. Cultures were induced with toluene vapor prior to incubation with nitrobenzene, and products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pseudomonas cepacia G4 and a strain of Pseudomonas harboring the TOL plasmid (pTN2) did not transform nitrobenzene. Cells of Pseudomonas putida F1 and Pseudomonas sp. strain JS150 converted nitrobenzene to 3-nitrocatechol. Transformation of nitrobenzene in the presence of {sup 18}O{sub 2} indicated that the reaction in JS150 involved the incorporation of both atoms of oxygen in the 3-nitrocatechol, which suggests a dioxygenase mechanism. P. putida 39/D, a mutant strain of P. putida F1, converted nitrobenzene to a compound tentatively identified as cis-1, 2-dihydroxy-3-nitrocyclohexa-3, 5-diene. This compound was rapidly converted to 3-nitrocatechol by cells of strain JS150. Cultures of Pseudomonas mendocina KR-1 converted nitrobenzene to a mixture of 3- and 4-nitrophenol (10 and 63%, respectively). Pseudomonas pickettii PKO1 converted nitrobenzene to 3- and 4-nitrocatechol via 3- and 4-nitrophenol. The nitrocatechols were slowly degraded to unidentified metabolites. Nitrobenzene did not serve as an inducer for the enzymes that catalyzed its oxidation.

• OSTI ID: 5946358
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States), Vol. 57:11; ISSN 0099-2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
NITROBENZENE
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
METABOLISM
METABOLITES
OXYGEN 18
OXYGENASES
PSEUDOMONAS
BACTERIA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENZYMES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MICROORGANISMS
NITRO COMPOUNDS
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
PROTEINS
STABLE ISOTOPES
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
550700 - Microbiology