The physiology of aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria

Behaviour of toluene, benzene and naphthalene under anaerobic conditions in sediment columns

“…Toluene was transformed relatively fast in the presence of bicarbonate, sulfate, iron, manganese, and nitrate as electron acceptor. This is in agreement with many other findings (Fuchs et al 1994, Smith 1994. However, the transformation under manganesereducing conditions is novel.…”

“…Since these alternative electron acceptors cannot replace oxygen in its second function, the first reaction steps differ from those in the aerobic processes. Anaerobic degradation of homocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons has only been found recently (Fuchs et al 1994;Grbi6-Gali6 1990;Smith 1994). Degradation of toluene by pure cultures has been reported under sulfate-reducing (Rabus et al 1993), iron-reducing (Lovley & Lonergan 1990) and denitrifying conditions (Altenschmidt & Fuchs 1991;Dolfing et al 1990;Evans et al 1991;Schocher et al 1991), and parts of degradation pathways were elucidated (Altenschmidt & Fuchs 1992;Belier et al 1992;Evans et al 1992).…”

Anaerobic Mineralization of Toluene by Enriched Sediments with Quinones and Humus as Terminal Electron Acceptors

“…Microbial degradation of toluene readily occurs under aerobic conditions (32,33) by a wide variety of aerobic bacteria utilizing several monooxygenases and a dioxygenase to initiate the attack. However, many polluted sites are often depleted of oxygen.…”

Purification and Characterization of Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase from the Aniline Degradation Pathway ofAcinetobactersp. YAA and Its Mutant Enzyme, Which Resists Substrate Inhibition

“…Bacteria degrade them mainly through two pathways, the ortho-cleavage pathway and the meta-cleavage pathway, in which the first steps are ring-cleavage reactions mediated by catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (C12O) and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) respectively. 1,2) Catechol degradation mediated by these enzymes has been reported in the metabolisms of many aromatic compounds by environmental bacteria. Therefore, these enzymes play important and essential roles in the aerobic degradation of chemicals with aromatic rings released into the environment.…”