Biodegradation of mixtures of chlorophenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides by Alcaligenes denitrificans

An Alcaligenes denitrificans strain able to degrade (R)-2-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid [(R)-MCPP, mecoprop] was assessed for its ability to utilise a range of chlorophenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides in single, binary, tertiary and quaternary combinations in batch culture. Degradation rates were rapid with single growth substrates; complete degradation occurred within 29 h for 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 43 h for 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and 50 h for (R)-MCPP, respectively. After 20 h, the degradation of (RS)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid [(RS)-2,4-DP] had ceased, with only the (R)-enantiomer being degraded. In binary combination, 2,4-D and MCPP degraded within 55 h. Degradation rates decreased when herbicides were added in tertiary and quaternary combinations. Thus, at the whole cell level, catalysis of closely related herbicides is likely to be facilitated by diverse enzymatic activity in A. denitrificans. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 25, 255–259. Received 16 April 2000/ Accepted in revised form 07 August 2000     

Enantioselective degradation of the herbicide mecoprop [2-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy) propionic acid] by mixed and pure bacterial cultures

Abstract A consortium of three bacteria was isolated from top soil through their capacity to utilise the chlorinated, aromatic herbicide mecoprop as a single growth substrate. The consortium constituted a tight association of Alcaligenes denitrificans, Pseudomonas glycinea and Pseudomonas marginalis . The culture exclusively degraded the ( R )-(+)-isomer of the herbicide while the ( S )-(−)-enantiomer remained unaffected. The mecoprop-degrading community could also degrade 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid and racemic 2-phenoxypropionic acid. Initially, no single member of the consortium was able to degrade mecoprop as a pure culture but after prolonged incubation, A. denitrificans was able to grow on the herbicide as the sole source of carbon and energy.     

Biotransformation of the fungistatic compound (R)-(+)-1-(4′-chlorophenyl)propan-1-ol by Botrytis cinerea

The biotransformation of the fungistatic agent (R)-(+)-1-(4′-chlorophenyl)propan-1-ol (1) by the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea has been studied. The main reaction pathways involved hydroxylations on several positions as well as condensations with secondary metabolites of the fungus. The antifungal activity of compound 1 against B. cinerea has also been determined.     

Production of (R)-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy) propionic acid by Beauveria bassiana ZJB16007 in solid state fermentation using rice bran

Abstract

R-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)propionic acid (R-HPPA) is a key chiral intermediate for phenoxypropionic acid herbicide synthesis. In this study, to improve the production of R-HPPA with B. bassiana ZJB16007, the cultivation conditions in solid-state fermentation (SSF) were investigated. The effects of various substrates on R-HPPA production were evaluated and the process parameters were also optimized. The results showed that rice bran was the optimal substrate for R-HPPA production. The optimal medium components and cultivation conditions were: rice bran: silkworm chrysalis powder = 5.25: 2.25 (g: g), nutrient salts solution 12?mL which contained 50?g/L R-PPA, pH 5.0, and cultivated at 28?°C for 11 days. Under the optimized conditions, the transformation of R-HPPA was significantly improved and the yield of R-HPPA reached 77.78%, which was 15.14% higher than that of the control (67.55%). Therefore, SSF may serve as an alternative for R-HPPA production by B. bassiana ZJB16007.     

Synthesis and polymerization of benzyl (3R,4R)-3-methylmalolactonate via enzymatic preparation of the chiral precursor

β-methylaspartate ammonia-lyase, EC 4.3.1.2, (β-methylaspartase) from Clostridium tetanomorphum was used to produce a 40/60 molar ratio of (2S,3R) and (2S,3S)-3-methylaspartic acids, 2a and 2b , respectively, from mesaconic acid 1 as substrate, on a large scale. To prepare (3R,4R)-3-methyl-4-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-2-oxetanone (benzyl 3-methylmalolactonate) 6, 2a and 2b were transformed, in the first step, into 2-bromo-3-methylsuccinic acids 3a and 3b and separated. After three further steps, (2S,3S)- 3a yielded the α,β-substituted β-lactone (3R,4R) 6 with a very high diastereoisomeric excess (>95% by chiral gas chromatography). The corresponding crystalline polymer, poly[benzyl β-(2R,3S)-3-methylmalate] 8 , prepared by an anionic ring opening polymerization, was highly isotactic as determined by ¹³C NMR. Catalytic hydrogenolysis of lactone 6 yielded (3R,4R)-3-methyl-4-carboxy-2-oxetanone (3-methylmalolactonic acid) 7 , to which reactive, chiral, or bioactive molecules can be attached through ester bonds leading to polymers with possible therapeutic applications. Because of the ability of β-methylaspartase to catalyse both syn- and anti-elimination of ammonia from (2S,3RS)-3-methylaspartic acid 2ab at different rates, the (2S,3R)-stereoisomer 2a was retained and isolated for further reactions. These results permit the use of the chemoenzymatic route for the preparation of both optically active and racemic polymers of 3-methylmalic acid with well-defined enantiomeric and diastereoisomeric compositions. Chirality 10:727–733, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

微生物酶不对称水解合成S(+)-布洛芬的研究 Ⅰ.高度立体选择性菌株的筛选

从361株细菌和酵母菌中分别筛选到12株可不对称水解布洛芬乙酯生成R(-)-布洛芬的细菌(5株菌对映体过量(ee)可达85%)和15株具有不对称水解布洛芬乙酯活性的酵母菌,其中皮状丝孢酵母T158生成S( )-布洛芬,ee可超过92%.该酵母菌最适碳源为葡萄糖,浓度以1.0—1.5%适宜,蛋白胨浓度低于0.3%或高于0.5%对水解拆分均不利.酵母膏的加入显著提高水解活性,最适浓度0.3%.在培养基中添加表面活性剂吐温80(0.2%)既可提高拆分专一性,又能增强水解能力.     

微生物酶不对称水解合成S（＋）—布洛芬的研究：Ⅱ.反应条件和产物提取

皮状丝孢酵母具有较强不对称水解底物专一性。在试验的五种布洛芬消旋酯中,水解甲酯和异丙酯生成Ｓ（＋）－布洛芬ｅｅ可达９７％,乙酯为９３％以上;而水解活性以乙酯最强。转化率高于３０５。不对称水解最适ｐＨ６．５－７．０;温度在２８－３７℃范围内拆分能力无明显差别。该酵母的水解酶为胞内酶,将酵母细胞制成丙酮干粉进行水解可提高立体专一性。产物Ｓ（＋）－布洛芬可借助于酸碱反应和有机溶剂提取得到,同时回收未水解     

产碱杆菌ECU0401催化拆分扁桃酸及其衍生物

从土壤中分离的1株产碱杆菌Alcaligenes sp.ECU0401具有扁桃酸脱氢酶活性,可以以扁桃酸、苯甲酰甲酸或苯甲酸为唯一C源生长,并且具有较高的脱氢酶活力。以外消旋扁桃酸为C源,采用分批补料策略培养（或反应）99h,扁桃酸累计投入量为30.4g/L,（S）-（＋）-扁桃酸被完全降解,（R）-（-）-扁桃酸回收产率为32.8%,对映体过量值（e.e.）〉99.9%。利用静息细胞作为催化剂不对称降解外消旋扁桃酸的氯代衍生物,制备获得光学活性的（R）-（-）-邻氯扁桃酸、（S）-（＋）-间氯扁桃酸和（S）-（＋）-对氯扁桃酸,光学纯度均超过99.9%e.e.。     

Effect of the auxin, 2-(2-methyl-4-chloro-phenoxy)propionic acid, on cell cycle regulation in maize embryonic tissues

During seed maturation, cells from embryonic tissues stop division at different phases of the cell cycle. In maize, neither these phases nor the effect of exogenous auxin on them are known. Disinfected whole maize ( Zea mays L. Mexican commercial hybrid H30) seeds or sectioned embryonic axes were incubated in Murashige and Skoog medium, with or without 2-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid (MCPP), a synthetic auxin. For some in vitro experiments, radioactive [³H]-thymidine was also added. After the stated incubation period, meristems of mesocotyl, primary and seminal roots from embryonic axes were dissected, fixed, and analyzed under a microscope. The percentage of mitotic indices was recorded. In the labeling experiments, labeled and non-labeled percentage of mitotic figures (MI %) were determined. It was found that cell division is a programmed event in the meristematic tissues of maize embryonic axes. Populations of cells entering cell division were obseved during the germination process. The mesocotyl was the first tissue to divide, followed by seminal and primary roots.
Meristematic cells from dry embryos are arrested during the G₂ and G₁ phases of the cell cycle. MCPP has a differential effect, stimulating G₂ cells to enter cell division. It is concluded that MCPP might regulate the cell cycle at specific points.     

Fluorescence characterization of the interaction Suwannee river fulvic acid with the herbicide dichlorprop (2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid) in the absence and presence of aluminum or erbium

This study uses fluorescence spectroscopy to better understand the role of environmental metal ions in the interaction of charged herbicides with biochemical degradation product Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA). The interactions between the widely-used herbicide dichlorprop (2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid) (DCPPA) with Al³⁺ and the comparative metal Er³⁺ were probed at pH 4.0. Fluorescence experiments on binary solutions at pH 4.0 clearly indicated that Al³⁺ and Er³⁺ strongly interact with both SRFA and DCPPA alone in solution as demonstrated by fluorescence quenching with DCPPA and enhancement with SRFA by Al³⁺ and fluorescence quenching of both SRFA and DCPPA fluorescence by Er³⁺. Titrating Al³⁺ or Er³⁺ to SRFA-DCPPA quenched SRFA fluorescence as compared to the SRFA-metal ion binary complexes. Formation constants were determined using the Ryan-Weber model for the titration data. The DCPPA fluorescence results strongly support the formation of DCPPA-Al³⁺ and DCPPA-Er³⁺ complexes at pH values above the pK_a (3.0) of DCPPA. Excitation and emission data obtained on ternary solutions of SRFA-Al³⁺-DCPPA and SRFA-Er³⁺-DCPPA complexes at pH 4.0 suggest that at this pH where the predominant DCPPA species is negatively-charged, Al³⁺ and Er³⁺ metal ions may function to “bridge” negatively-charged fulvic acids to negatively-charged pesticides. Fluorescence data collected on UV-irradiated ternary complexes indicate that both metals can also bridge DCPPA interactions with SRFA under those conditions. The results of our studies suggest that creation of a herbicide-free boundary corridor is recommended near mines and runoff areas with metal ions in surface waters to control possible complexation among fulvic acids, DCPPA and metal ions that maintains these molecules in a bioavailable state to plants and animals.     

Synthesis of (R)-2-trimethylsilyl-2-hydroxyl-propionitrile catalyzed by (R)-hydroxynitrile lyase from Prunus japonica seed meal

Synthesis of (R)-2-trimethylsilyl-2-hydroxyl-propionitrile via asymmetric transcyanation of acetyltrimethylsilane with acetone cyanohydrin in an aqueous/organic biphasic system catalyzed by (R)-hydroxynitrile lyase from Prunus japonica seed meal was successfully carried out for the first time. The optimal volume ratio of aqueous to organic phase, buffer pH value and reaction temperature were 15% (v/v), 5.0 and 30°C, respectively, under which both substrate conversion and product enantiomeric excess (ee) were 99%. Silicon atom in the substrate showed great effect on the reaction. Acetyltrimethylsilane was a much better substrate for (R)-hydroxynitrile lyase from Prunus japonica than its carbon analogue.     

Synthesis of (R)-2-trimethylsilyl-2-hydroxyl-propionitrile catalyzed by (R)-hydroxynitrile lyase from Prunus japonica seed meal

Synthesis of (R)-2-trimethylsilyl-2-hydroxyl-propionitrile via asymmetric transcyanation of acetyltrimethylsilane with acetone cyanohydrin in an aqueous/organic biphasic system catalyzed by (R)-hydroxynitrile lyase from Prunus japonica seed meal was successfully carried out for the first time. The optimal volume ratio of aqueous to organic phase, buffer pH value and reaction temperature were 15% (v/v), 5.0 and 30°C, respectively, under which both substrate conversion and product enantiomeric excess (ee) were 99%. Silicon atom in the substrate showed great effect on the reaction. Acetyltrimethylsilane was a much better substrate for (R)-hydroxynitrile lyase from Prunus japonica than its carbon analogue.     

(+)-α(S)-butyramido-γ-butyrolactone from Lyngbya majuscula

(+)-α(S)-Butyramido-γ-butyrolactone is a minor constituent of the toxic marine blue-green alga Lyngbya majuscula.     

Synthesis of (+)-(2R,3S,4R)-2,3,4-trihydroxycyclohexanone from D-glucose

We have described the synthesis of (+)-(2R,3S,4R)-2,3,4-trihydroxycyclohexanone by the reduction of a keto-conduritol derivative, the latter being prepared in five steps from (-)-(2S,3R,4S,5S)-2,3,4-tribenzyloxy-5-hydroxycyclohexanone, which is in turn readily synthesized from D-glucose.     

Identification and Characterization of a Mycobacterial (2R,3R)-2,3-Butanediol Dehydrogenase

Bacterial strain B-009, capable of using racemic 1,2-propanediol (PD), was identified as a rapid-growing member of the genus Mycobacterium. The strain is phylogenetically related to M. gilvum, but has slightly different physiological characteristics. An NAD⁺-dependent enantioselective alcohol dehydrogenase, which acts on R-PD, was purified from the strain. The enzyme was a homodimer of a peptide coded by a 1047-bp gene (mbd1). A highly conserved sequence for medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductases with a preference for secondary alcohols was found in the gene. Hydroxyacetone was produced from R-PD by an enzymatic reaction, indicating that position 2 of the substrate was oxidized. The enzyme activity was highest for (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol (R,R-BD), enabling the enzyme to be identified as (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase (R,R-BD-DH). A homology search revealed M. gilvum, M. vanbaalenii, and M. semegmatis to have ORFs similar to mbd1, suggesting the widespread distribution of genes encoding R,R-BD-DH among mycobacterial strains.     

Detection and identification of substituted phenols as intermediates of concurrent bacterial degradation of the phenoxy herbicides MCPP and 2,4-D

The concurrent bacterial degradation of 2-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was studied using a stirred tank reactor and a bacterial culture which had been originally derived by enrichment with MCPP. High pressure liquid chromatographic methodology was used to measure both herbicides and it also resolved the corresponding phenols as intermediates, i.e., 2-methyl-4-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to verify the intermediates. UV scans of spent cultures showed that the wave-length of maximum absorption shifted from 282 nm to 280 nm toward the end of incubation, but the characteristic peaks of maximum absorption of these compounds could not be used resolved because of the overlap.     

羰基还原酶产生菌Candida ontarioensis制备(R)-2-氯-1-(3-氯苯基)乙醇

从实验室保藏的菌株中筛选获得Candida sp.PT2A,并通过18S rRNA鉴定为安大略假单胞菌Candida on-tarioensis。对C.ontarioensis不对称还原合成(R)-2-氯-1-(3-氯苯基)乙醇的发酵产酶条件和转化条件进行优化,确定了最适的发酵产酶条件和转化条件:温度30℃,初始pH 6.5,摇床转速180 r/min,菌体质量浓度200 g/L。采用2-氯-1-(3-氯苯基)乙酮质量浓度为10 g/L时,还原反应72 h,(R)-2-氯-1-(3-氯苯基)乙醇的e.e.值为99.9%,产率为99%;底物质量浓度提高至30 g/L时,产率下降为84.3%。采用十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)对C.ontarioensis细胞进行通透性处理(CTAB g/L,4℃下处理20 min),在30 g/L底物下反应24 h,产物的e.e.和产率分别达到99.9%和97.5%。     

Experiment and simulation on kinetic resolution of (R,S)-2-chloromandelic acid by enzymatic transesterification

Optically pure 2-chloromandelic acid (ClMA) is a very important chiral drug intermediate for synthesis of (S)-clopidogrel, belonging to the platelet aggregation inhibitor. Enantioselective resolution of (R,S)-2-chloromandelic acid was carried out in organic solvent through irreversible transesterification catalyzed by lipase AK with vinyl acetate acting as the acyl donor. Effects of various conditions on enantioselectivity and activity of lipase were investigated, including organic solvents, temperature, water content, substrate ratio, enzyme loading, and reaction time. Based on homogeneous reaction and Ping-Pong bi-bi mechanism, a quantitative model was constructed to simulate and optimize the reaction process. Under the optimal conditions, excellent results were obtained with high conversion of (R)-2-ClMA (c _R, ≥98.85%) and large enantiomeric excess of substrate (ee _s, ≥98.15%). There is a good agreement between predicted values and experiment data, which indicates that the established method is a powerful tool for optimization of the enantioselective transesterification process for enantiomers separation.     

Absolute configuration of (+)-cis-2,3-dihydro-2-[(methylamino)methyl]-1- [4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-1H-indene hydrochloride,a chiral serotonin uptake inhibitor

The absolute configuration of (+)-cis-2,3-dihydro-2[(methylamino)methyl]-1-[4-(trifluoromethyl)pheno<y]-1H-indene hydrochloride, the more active enantiomer of a new serotonin inhibitor, was established as 1S,2S. This assignment was based on the application of the benzene sector and chirality rules to the interpretation of the inhibitor's circular dichroism spectrum and the spectra of other related chiral 1-substituted 2,3-dihydro-1H-indenes. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Comparative toxicity of (+)-(R)- and (−)-(S)-1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane

The haloalkane 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), an environmental pollutant that was widely used as a soil fumigant, is a carcinogen and a mutagen and displays target-organ toxicity to the testes and the kidneys. Because little is known about effects of stereochemistry on the metabolism and toxicity of halogenated alkyl compounds and because DBCP, which has a chiral center at C-2, may show enantioselectivity in its metabolism and/or toxicities, the optically pure enantiomers of DBCP were tested in vivo in rats for organ toxicity as well as for bacterial mutagenicity. Organ toxicity studies showed that (S)-DBCP was slightly more renal toxic than (R)-DBCP but was not significantly more toxic than the racemate, and that no significant differences were observed in the extents of testicular necrosis and atrophy caused by either enantiomer or the racemate. In contrast, (R)-DBCP was more mutagenic than either (S)-DBCP or the racemate to Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) strains TA 100 and TA104. However, there was little or no enantioselectivity in glutathione S-transferase (GST)-catalyzed conjugation reactions of glutathione with DBCP based on the lack of selectivity in the rates of disappearance of the enantiomers of DBCP in the presence of glutathione (GSH) and GSTs as monitored by chiral gas chromatography (GC). © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.