Dietmar Helmut Pieper

Metabolism of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid and 2-methylphenoxyacetic acid by Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134

Of eleven substituted phenoxyacetic acids tested, only three (2,4-dichloro-, 4-chloro-2-methyl- and 2-methylphenoxyacetic acid) served as growth substrates for Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134. Whereas only one enzyme seems to be responsible for the initial cleavage of the ether bond, there was evidence for the presence of three different phenol hydroxylases in this strain. 3,5-Dichlorocatechol and 5-chloro-3-methylcatechol, metabolites of the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid, respectively, were exclusively metabolized via the ortho-cleavage pathway. 2-Methylphenoxyacetic acid-grown cells showed simultaneous induction of meta- and ortho-cleavage enzymes. Two catechol 1,2-dioxygenases responsible for ortho-cleavage of the intermediate catechols were partially purified and characterized. One of these enzymes converted 3,5-dichlorocatechol considerably faster than catechol or 3-chlorocatechol. A new enzyme for the cycloisomerisation of muconates was found, which exhibited high activity against the ring-cleavage products of 3,5-dichlorocatechol and 4-chlorocatechol, but low activities against 2-chloromuconate and muconate.

Regulation of catabolic pathways of phenoxyacetic acids and phenols in Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134

Alicaligenes eutrophus JMP 134 is able to grow on 2,4-dichloro-, 4-chloro-2-methyl- and 2-methylphenoxy acetic acid. The unsubstituted phenoxyacetic acid, however, is no growth substrate due to very poor induction of the 2,4-D monooxygenase. Spontaneous mutants of Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134 capable of growth with phenoxyacetic acid were selected on agar plates. One of these mutants, designated Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134-1, shows constitutive production of six enzymes of the 2,4-D pathway, which were known to be localized in at least three different transcriptional units. A common regulatory gene is postulated to be mutated. 2,4-Dichloro-, 4-chloro-2-methyl- and 2-methylphenoxyacetic acid were the inducers of the enzymes of the “chloroaromatic pathway” in Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134. Phenol and 2-methylphenol, metabolites of the degradation of phenoxyacetic acid and 2-methylphenoxyacetic acid, were shown to be inducers of the meta-cleavage pathway, whereas 2,4-dichlorophenol and 4-chloro-2-methylphenol were not. Thus efficient regulation prevents chloroaromatics from being misrouted into the unproductive meta-cleavage pathway. Because 2,4-dichloro-and 4-chloro-2-methylphenol did not show any induction potential, they were growth substrates only for the mutant strain JMP 134-1.

Purification and characterization of 4-methylmuconolactone methylisomerase, a novel enzyme of the modified 3-oxoadipate pathway in the gram-negative bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134.

4-Carboxymethyl-4-methylbut-2-en-4-olide (4-methyl-2-enelactone) isomerase, transforming 4-methyl-2-enelactone to 3-methyl-2-enelactone, was purified from a derivative strain of Pseudomonas sp. B13, named B13 FR1, carrying the plasmid pFRC2OP. This plasmid contained the isomerase gene cloned from Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134, which uses 4-methyl-2-enelactone as a carbon source. The enzyme consists of a single peptide chain of Mr 40,000 as judged by SDS/PAGE. In addition to 4-methyl-2-enelactone, the putative reaction intermediate, 1-methyl-3,7-dioxo-2,6-dioxy-bicyclo[3.3.0]octane (1-methylbislactone), was a substrate for the enzyme, but kinetic data presented did not favour its role as a reaction intermediate. Isomeric methyl-substituted 4-carboxymethylbut-2-en-4-olides were neither substrates nor inhibitors. Possible reaction mechanisms are discussed.

Metabolism of 2-chloro-4-methylphenoxyacetate by Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134

Abstract2-Chloro-4-methylphenoxyacetate is not a growth substrate for Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134 and JMP 1341. It is, however, being transformed by enzymes of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid metabolism to 2-chloro-4-methyl-cis, cis-muconate, which is converted by enzymatic 1,4-cycloisomerization to 4-carboxymethyl-2-chloro-4-methylmuconolactone as a dead end metabolite. Chemically, only 3,6-cycloisomerization occurs, giving rise to both diastereomers of 4-carboxychloromethyl-3-methylbut-2-en-4-olide. Those lactones harbonring a chlorosubstituent on the 4-carboxymethyl side chain were surprisingly stable under physiological as well as acidic conditions.

Degradation of Chloroaromatics by Pseudomona(d)s

Chlorinated hydrocarbons comprise a large spectrum of compounds that are of enormous industrial and economic importance because of their applications and global outputs. Apart from the common feature of having one or more covalent bound chlorine atoms, these compounds show a complex diversity of behavior that is primarily characterized by their aliphatic or aromatic character and the presence of other functional groups. Nevertheless, the introduction of chlorine atom(s) into a hydrocarbon significantly influences its physicochemical and biochemical properties and the tendency for bioaccumulation and environmental persistence. Acting in combination with possible (eco)toxicological effects, these properties have pushed the chloro-chemistry into the focus of considerable debate and governmental regulatory action.

Metabolization of 3,5-dichlorocatechol by Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134

Abstract2,4-Dichloro-cis,cis-muconate is established as ringcleavage product in the degradation of 3,5-dichlorocatechol by Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134. The formerly described isomerization of 2-chloro-trans- to 2-chlorocis-4-carboxymethylenebut-2-en-4-olide as an essential catabolic step could not be certified.

(+)-4-Carboxymethyl-2,4-dimethylbut-2-en-4-olide as dead-end metabolite of 2,4-dimethylphenoxyacetic acid or 2,4-dimethylphenol by alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134

Abstract2,4-Dimethylphenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dimethylphenol are not growth substrates for Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP 134 although being cooxidized by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate grown cells. None of the relevant catabolic pathways were induced by the dimethylphenoxyacetate. 3,5-Dimethylcatechol is not subject to metacleavage. The alternative ortho-eleavage is also unproductive and gives rise to (+)-4-carboxymethyl-2,4-dimethylbut-2-en-4-olide as a dead-end metabolite. High yields of this metabolite were obtained with the mutant Alcaligenes eutrophys JMP 134-1 which constitutively expresses the genes of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid metabolism.