The bacteria Sphingomonas sp. strain BSN22, isolated from bean fields, degraded octylphenol polyethoxylates (OPEO(n)) to octylphenol (OP) under aerobic conditions. This biodegradation mechanism proceeded by the following two-step degradation process: (1) degradation of OPEO(n) to octylphenol triethoxylate (OPEO(3)), (2) degradation from OPEO(3) to OP via octylphenoxy acetic acid (OPEC(1)). The chemical structure of OPEC(1) was confirmed by analysis using (18)O-labeled water. Quantitative studies revealed that magnesium (Mg(2+)) and calcium (Ca(2+)) ions were essential for the biodegradation of OPEO(n). Furthermore, the rate of biodegradation was especially accelerated by ferric ions (Fe(3+)), and the accumulated amounts of endocrine active chemicals, such as OP, OPEO(1), and OPEC(1), significantly increased to the concentration of 22.8, 221.7, and 961.1 microM in the presence of 37.0 microM Fe(3+), respectively. This suggests that environmental elements significantly influence the resultant ecotoxicity as well as the rate of their biodegradation in the environment. This study on the mechanism of OPEO(n) biodegradation may play an important role in understanding and managing environmental safety, including drinking water safety.
A gene encoding a cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sterolicum nov. sp. ATCC21387 was isolated by an expression cloning method and highly expressed by a recombinant strain Escherichia coli MM294/pnH10. The purified cholesterol oxidase was a typical flavoprotein with a molecular mass of 46.5 kDa, absorption peaks at 280, 360, and 450 nm. Optimum pH and temperature were found at pH 6.5 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme acted on 3beta-hydroxysteroids such as cholesterol, pregnenolone, and beta-sitosterol at high rates, but on dehydro-epi-androsterone to a lesser degree. The molecular and catalytic properties were different from those of cholesterol oxidase I, which was initially discovered in B. sterolicum nov. sp. ATCC21387. The new enzyme, designated cholesterol oxidase II, was distinguished by its high affinity toward cholesterol (K(m)=30 microM).
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