Microbial metabolism of fluoranthene: isolation and identification of ring fission products

Abstract

The degradation of fluoranthene by pure cultures ofAlcalioenes denitrificans WW1, isolated from contaminated soil samples, was investigated. The strain showed m a x i m u m degradation rates of 0.3 mg fluoranthene/ml per day. A. denitrificans was able to utilize also naphthalene, 1-and 2-methylnaphthalene, phenanthrene, and anthracene as sole carbon sources and to co-metabolize fluorene, pyrene, and benzo(a)anthracene. During growth on fluoranthene in batch culture two metabolic products that were completely degraded before growth entered the stationary phase were detected in the culture fluid. Analyses by UV, mass and N M R spectroscopy identified the products as acenaphthenone and 3-hydroxymethyl-4,5-benzocoumarine. Fluoranthene-grown resting cells of A. denitrificans showed degradative activity towards 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, pyrogallol, salicylic acid, and catechol. The enzymatic activities in extracts of fluoranthene-induced cells indicate a meta ring fission involved in the degradation of fluoranthene. From these data new aspects of the biodegradative pathway of fluoranthene have been predicted.

Actions of a versatile fluorene-degrading bacterial isolate on polycyclic aromatic compounds?

“…These data are consistent with data reported in the literature (53). Incubations of DBT with strain F297 yielded products indicative of both aromatic-ring fission and sulfur oxidation.…”

“…These studies have yielded fundamental information about the biodegradability of individual compounds, but little is known of the fate of those compounds in mixtures. It has been recognized that a number of aromatic hydrocarbon degraders have the ability to transform other aromatic substrates to various extents (9,14,15,30,31,33,44,45,47,52,53), suggesting that biotransformations may play important roles in the degradation of environmental mixtures. A number of studies document the degradation of PAC mixtures.…”

Application of Chemically Accelerated Biotreatment to Reduce Risk in Oil-Impacted Soils

“…Growth on PAH containing four fused aromatic rings (e.g. chrysene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene) is somewhat more rare, although organisms are known which can utilize each of these as growth substrates (Heitkamp et al 1988a & b;Churchill et al 1999;Schneider et al 1996;Mueller et al 1990;Boldrin et al 1993;Bastiaens et al 2000, Walter et al 1991, Bouchez et al 1997, Juhasz et al 1997Caldini et al 1995;Weissenfels et al 1991;Vila et al 2001). Currently, very few bacteria have been reported to be capable of growth using solely PAH with five Appendix -14 or more benzene rings (Juhasz et al 1997), although some cases have been reported in which bacteria co-metabolize five-ring PAHs during growth on simpler substrates (Chen and Aitken 1999;Schneider et al 1996).…”

Application of Chemically Accelerated Biotreatment to Reduce Riskin Oil-Impacted Soils

“…Growth on PAH containing four fused aromatic rings (e.g. chrysene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene) is somewhat more rare, although organisms are known which can utilize each of these as growth substrates (Heitkamp et al 1988a & b;Churchill et al 1999;Schneider et al 1996;Mueller et al 1990;Boldrin et al 1993;, Walter et al 1991, Bouchez et al 1997, Juhasz et al 1997Caldini et al 1995;Weissenfels et al 1991;Vila et al 2001).…”