The Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134 tfdA gene, encoding the enzyme responsible for the first step in 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) biodegradation, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and several enzymatic properties of the partially purified gene product were examined. Although the tfd4-encoded enzyme is typically referred to as 2,4-D monooxygenase, we were unable to observe any reductant-dependent activity. Rather, we demonstrate that this enzyme is a ferrous ion-dependent dioxygenase that uses a-ketoglutarate as a cosubstrate. The a-ketoglutarate is converted to succinate concomitant with 2,4-D conversion to 2,4-dichlorophenol. By using [1-_4Cla-ketoglutarate, we established that carbon dioxide is the second product derived from ac-ketoglutarate. Finally, we verified the proposal that glyoxylate is the second product derived from 2,4-D.The 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) biodegradation pathway is a paradigm for microbial metabolism of chloroaromatic compounds (10, 27). The scheme for mineralization of 2,4-D was first established in an Arthrobacter species (2,3,18,32,33) and was shown to involve side chain removal, hydroxylation of the resulting 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), opening of the 3,5-dichlorocatechol ring, and subsequent conversion of 2,4-dichloro-cis,cis-muconate to succinate, which is metabolized by the cells. This pathway also is operative in Alcaligenes eutrophus JMP134, in which several of the 2,4-D degradation genes (tfdA, tfdB, tfdC, tfdD, tfdE, and tfdF) have been localized to the transmissible plasmid pJP4 (7-9). Three of the downstream genes, tfd-CDE, exhibit extensive nucleotide sequence similarity to the well-studied chlorocatechol degradation genes clcABD (9a) and tcbCDE (34), and the corresponding chlorocatechol dioxygenase, cycloisomerase, and hydrolase steps are biochemically well understood (9,26). Similarly, the A. eutrophus tfdB gene (24) exhibits significant sequence similarity to the phenol monooxygenase gene pheA (22), and the nicotinamide-dependent, flavin-containing 2,4-DCP hydroxylase that it encodes has been purified and well characterized (17).In contrast to the other tfd genes, the A. eutrophus tfdA gene sequence (31) exhibits no obvious evolutionary relationship to other known sequences and no biochemical characterization of the tfdA gene product (TFDA) has been reported.Here, we identify the complete enzymatic reaction catalyzed by the product of the tfdA gene. Although TFDA is generally referred to as 2,4-D monooxygenase (9,11, 15,23,25,31), we demonstrate that the enzyme is a ferrous iondependent and at-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase that converts a-ketoglutarate to succinate and carbon dioxide concomitant with the conversion of 2,4-D to 2,4-DCP and glyoxylate. Preparation of cell extracts and partial purification of TFDA. Cultures (2 liters) of E. coli JM109(pUS311) were grown overnight at 30 or 370C with moderate aeration. Cells were harvested by centrifugation (6,000 x g) for 20 min and then suspended in 25 ml of 20 mM Tris-1 mM EDTA-0.4 pg of le...