Degradation of Ethylbenzene by Pseudomonas putida Harboring OCT Plasmid |
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Authors: | Masao Fukuda Tatsunari Nishi Makoto Igarashi Takashi Kondo Masamichi Takagi Keiji Yano |
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Affiliation: | Department of Agricultural Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan |
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Abstract: | We have investigated the utilization of a variety of alkylbenzenes by P. putida strains and found that a strain harboring the OCT plasmid assimilated ethylbenzene. The linkage between the determinant for the degradation of ethylbenzene (Etb+ phenotype) and the OCT plasmid was inferred from conjugation experiments. The growth characteristics of the strains carrying mutations in the alk genes of the OCT plasmid which determine the assimilation of /t-alkanes indicated that alkB, alkA, and alkR should be responsible for the degradation of ethylbenzene. The exposure of ethylbenzene to the P. putida strain harboring the CAM-OCT plasmid resulted in the accumulation of β-phenylethyl alcohol. A possible degradation pathway for ethylbenzene including the terminal oxidation of the alkyl side chain was proposed. |
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Keywords: | lactobacilli lipid rafts tumor necrosis factor-alpha |
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