ETHYLBENZENE DEGRADATION BY PSEUDOMONAS-FLUORESCENS STRAIN CA-4

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CA-4 is a bioreactor isolate capable of ethylbenzene degradation. Transposon mutagenesis and enzyme assays have been performed which allow us to propose the ethylbenzene degradative pathway in operation in this strain. Ethylbenzene is initially converted to 2-phenylethanol. This is degraded to phenylacetaldehyde and then to phenylacetic acid. The major inducer of the pathway is ethylbenzene itself. The pathway is regulated by the presence of non-aromatic carbon sources. Oxidation of ethylbenzene is repressed by glutamate, but not by citrate or glucose. A clone from a chromosomal library has been found to complement a mutant deficient in the ability to convert ethylbenzene to 2-phenylethanol.