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Fluorene Transformation by Bacteria of the Genus Rhodococcus

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Abstract

Of the four investigated Rhodococcus strains (R. rhodochrous172, R. opacus 4a and 557, and R. rhodnii 135), the first three strains were found to be able to completely transform fluorene when it was present in the medium as the sole source of carbon at a concentration of 12–25 mg/l. At a fluorene concentration of 50–100 mg/l in the medium, the rhodococci transformed 50% of the substrate in 14 days. The addition of casamino acids and sucrose (1–5 g/l) stimulated fluorene transformation, so that R. rhodochrous 172 could completely transform it in 2–5 days. Nine intermediates of fluorene transformation were isolated, purified, and structurally characterized. It was found that R. rhodnii 135 and R. opacus strains 4a and 557 hydroxylated fluorene with the formation of 2-hydroxyfluorene and 2,7-dihydroxyfluorene. R. rhodochrous 172 transformed fluorene via two independent pathways to a greater degree than the other rhodococci studied.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Nauki 5, Pushchino, Moscow oblast, 142290, Russia

    Z. I. Finkelstein, B. P. Baskunov, E. L. Golovlev, M. A. Baboshin & L. A. Golovleva

  2. Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, 6700 HB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    J. Vervoort

  3. Subdepartment of Toxicology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, 6700 HB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    I. M. C. M. Rietjens

Authors
  1. Z. I. Finkelstein
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  2. B. P. Baskunov
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  3. E. L. Golovlev
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  4. J. Vervoort
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  5. I. M. C. M. Rietjens
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  6. M. A. Baboshin
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  7. L. A. Golovleva
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Finkelstein, Z.I., Baskunov, B.P., Golovlev, E.L. et al. Fluorene Transformation by Bacteria of the Genus Rhodococcus . Microbiology 72, 660–665 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MICI.0000008365.53111.a4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MICI.0000008365.53111.a4

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