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Mineralization and transformation of monofluorophenols by Pseudonocardia benzenivorans

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Abstract

The aerobic metabolism of monofluorophenols (mono-FPs) by the actinomycete, Pseudonocardia benzenivorans, was studied. This strain was able to grow on 4-fluorophenol (4-FP) and readily transform 2- and 3-fluorophenol to the corresponding metabolites. The detailed mechanism of mono-FPs degradation by P. benzenivorans was elucidated from enzymatic assays and the identification of reaction intermediates by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Two types of fluorocatechols (i.e., 3- and 4-fluorocatechol) were identified as the key transformation products. During 4-FP degradation, only 4-fluorocatechol was detected, and a stoichiometric level of fluoride was released. Both fluorocatechols were observed together in cultures containing 3-fluorophenol (3-FP), while only 3-fluorocatechol was found to accumulate in 2-fluorophenol (2-FP)-containing cultures. Whole-cell extracts of P. benzenivorans expressed catechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity, indicating that the transformation of the three tested mono-FPs proceeded via ortho-cleavage pathway. The results presented in this paper provide comprehensive information regarding the metabolism of mono-FPs by a single bacterium.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Korean Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) grant funded by the Korean government (MEST; No. R01-2008-000-20244-0) and “The GAIA project” from the Korea Ministry of Environment.

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  1. Young-Mo Kim

    Present address: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 790-784, Korea

    Eun-Ju Kim, Jong-Rok Jeon, Young-Mo Kim, Kumarasamy Murugesan & Yoon-Seok Chang

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  1. Eun-Ju Kim
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  2. Jong-Rok Jeon
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Correspondence to Yoon-Seok Chang.

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Kim, EJ., Jeon, JR., Kim, YM. et al. Mineralization and transformation of monofluorophenols by Pseudonocardia benzenivorans . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 87, 1569–1577 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2647-7

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