Molecular Biology of Anaerobic Aromatic Biodegradation.
Abstract
The molecular basis for the anaerobic degradation of benzoate and 4-hydroxybenzoate was investigated using the bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris as a model. These aromatic acids are intermediates in the degradation of structurally diverse aromatic compounds, includilng environmental pollutants, by many metabolic types of anaerobic bacteria. Benzoate is the starting compound for a major central pathway of anaerobic benzene ring reduction and cleavage. This appears to be the major route required for complete degradation of toxic aromatic compounds under anaerobic conditions. There is still uncertainty, however, about the sequence of intermediates formed in the benzoate pathway and very little is known about the enzymology and genetics of the pathway. A major thrust of the work involved cloning benzoate degradation and regulatory genes and assigning functions to these genes based on nucleotide sequencing and physiological analyses of strains carrying defined mutations. Other studies included purification and characterization of the benzoate pathway ring cleavage enzyme (2-ketocyclohexanecarboxyl-CoA hydrolase).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 06, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA308975
Entities
People
- Caroline S. Harwood
Organizations
- University of Iowa