Fortuitous resorcinol metabolism by a phloroglucinol‐induced Rhodococcus sp. BPG‐8

Abstract

A Rhodoococcrrs sp. BPG-8 isolated from oil-rich soil in Newfoundland was capable of using phloroglucinol as a sole source of carbon and energy. Culture filtrates of cells grown on resorcinol were extracted and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectra (GC-MS), thin layer chromatography (TLC). and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Phloroglucinol induced cell-free extracts revealed the presence of phloroglucinol hydroxylase that hydroxylated resorcinol. Meta-cleavage of 1 J.4-benzenentriol occurs at a slow rate. A tentative biotransformation pathway for resorcinol by Rl~oducoococus sp. BPG-8 is discussed.The genus Rhodococcus rivals the Pseiidotmtzds in its ability to transform and mineralize various aromatics. RhorZococcirs can transformation chlorinated-phenolic compounds through 0-methylation (ALLARD et al. 1985), or hydroxylation of chlorinated-phenols to chlorocatechols (HAGGBLOM et a/. 1988). JANKE et nl. (1988) suggest that many non-growth substrated such as chloroanilines, chlorophenols, and chlorobenzoic acid produce dead end metabolites by this non-specific hydroxylation.This note reports a novel phloroglucinol (PG, 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene) induced RIiodococci~.s sp. BPG-8 that is able to fortuitously metabolize resorcinol.

Phenol and cresol metabolism in Bacillus pumilus isolated from contaminated groundwater

“…Concluding from these liquid culture experiments it is difficult to estimate if and in which extent 3-methylcatechol induced also an extradiol ring fission evident for the ring fission experiments and the liquid culture experiments with cells pregrown on the respective cresol. So it is known that substituted catechols undergo a fast keto-enol tautomerization and further nonenzymatic polymerization of the respective quinones (ARMSTRONG and PATEL 1992). Thus, together with the above mentioned red-brown colour of their culture liquids the nonenzymatic formation of polymeric products via 3-methyl-o-benzoquinone (from 3-methylcatechol) or 4-methyl-o-benzoquinone (from 4-methylcatechol) has to be considered.…”