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Utilization of the herbicide phosphinothricin as a nitrogen source by soil bacteria

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Summary

Rhodococcus sp., Pseudomonas paucimobilis and five other bacterial soil isolates were found to be capable of utilizing the l-enantiomer of the herbicide phosphinothricin (2-amino-4-(methylphosphinyl)-butanoic acid) as a nitrogen source. This deamination yielded the structural analogue, 2-oxo-4-(methylphosphinyl)-butanoic acid as the main catabolite of phosphinothricin. On prolonged incubation, slow decarboxylation of the main catabolite occurred with the formation of the stable degradation product 3-methylphosphinico-propanoic acid.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Bodenbiologie, Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft, Bundesallee 50, D-3300, Braunschweig, Federal Republic of Germany

    Christoph C. Tebbe & Hans H. Reber

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  1. Christoph C. Tebbe
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  2. Hans H. Reber
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Tebbe, C.C., Reber, H.H. Utilization of the herbicide phosphinothricin as a nitrogen source by soil bacteria. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 29, 103–105 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00258359

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00258359

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