Metabolism of nitrophenols by bacteria isolated from parathion-amended flooded soil.
Two bacterial isolates from parathion-amended flooded soil, Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp., were examined for their ability to decompose nitrophenols. Uniformly labelled 14C-p-nitrophenol was metabolized by both bacteria, 14CO2 and nitrite being end products. A substantial portion (23% for Pseudomonas sp. and 80% for Bacillus sp.) of radioactivity applied as p-nitrophenol was accounted for as 14CO2 at the end of a 72-h period; 8 to 16% remained in the water phase after solvent extraction. Pseudomonas sp. produced nitrite also from 2,4-dinitrophenol, but only after a lag, and not from o- and m-nitrophenols. Interestingly, m-nitrophenol, known for its resistance to biodegradation because of meta substitution, was decomposed by Bacillus sp., resulting in the formation of nitrite and phenol; o-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol resisted degradation by this bacterium.
D001407:Bacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004140:Dinitrophenols / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000378:metabolism*; D010278:Parathion; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D012987:Soil
D004140:Dinitrophenols; D009573:Nitrites; D009596:Nitrophenols; D012987:Soil; D010278:Parathion