MULTIPLE GENES ENCODING 2,3-DIHYDROXYBIPHENYL 1,2-DIOXYGENASE IN THE GRAM-POSITIVE POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL-DEGRADING BACTERIUM RHODOCOCCUS-ERYTHROPOLIS TA421, ISOLATED FROM A TERMITE ECOSYSTEM

Rhodococcus erythropolis TA421was isolated from a termite ecosystem and is able to degrade a wide range of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. Genetic and biochemical analyses of the PCB catabolic pathway of this organism revealed that there are four different bphC genes (bphC1, bphC2, bphC3, and bphC4) which encode 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenases. As determined by Southern hybridization, none of the bphC genes exhibits homology to any other bphC gene. bphC1, bphC2, and bphC4 encode enzymes that have narrow substrate specificities and cleave the first aromatic ring in the meta position, In contrast, bphC3 encodes a meta cleavage dioxygenase with broad substrate specificity. Asturias et al. have Shown that the closely related organism Rhodococcus globerulus P6 contains three different bphC genes (bphC1, bphC2, and bpHC3) which encode meta cleavage dioxygenases. The data suggest that there is a diverse family of bphC genes which encode PCB meta cleavage dioxygenases in members of the genus Rhodococcus.