Biotransformation of 7-ethoxycoumarin by Streptomyces griseus resulted in the accumulation of two metabolites which were isolated and identified as 7hydroxycoumarin and 7-hydroxy-6-methoxycoumarin. A novel series of biotransformation reactions is implicated in the conversion of the ethoxycoumarin substrate to these products, including 0-deethylation, 6-hydroxylation to form a 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin catechol, and subsequent 0-methylation. Either 7-hydroxycoumarin or 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin was biotransformed to 7-hydroxy-6methoxycoumarin by S. griseus. Trace amounts of the isomeric 6-hydroxy-7methoxycoumarin were detected when 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin was used as the substrate. Efforts to obtain a cell-free catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme system from S. griseus were unsuccessful. However, [methyl-14C]methionine was used with cultures of S. griseus to form 7-hydroxy-6-[14C]methoxycoumarin. Streptomyces griseus (UT 1158, NRRL 8090) catalyzes a wide array of oxidative biotransformation reactions with simple aromatic compounds (23), alkaloids (7, 8, 16, 17, 20, 21), and terpene substrates (5). Reactions common for S. griseus include 0-and N-dealkylations, aromatic hydroxylation, epoxidation, and carbon-car