title: Pyrene degradation by a Mycobacterium sp.: identification of ring oxidation and ring fission products.
abstract: The degradation of pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing four aromatic rings, by pure cultures of a Mycobacterium sp. was studied. Over 60% of [14C]pyrene was mineralized to CO2 after 96 h of incubation at 24 degrees C. High-pressure liquid chromatography analyses showed the presence of one major and at least six other metabolites that accounted for 95% of the total organic-extractable 14C-labeled residues. Analyses by UV, infrared, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry and gas chromatography identified both pyrene cis- and trans-4,5-dihydrodiols and pyrenol as initial microbial ring-oxidation products of pyrene. The major metabolite, 4-phenanthroic acid, and 4-hydroxyperinaphthenone and cinnamic and phthalic acids were identified as ring fission products. 18O2 studies showed that the formation of cis- and trans-4,5-dihydrodiols were catalyzed by dioxygenase and monooxygenase enzymes, respectively. This is the first report of the chemical pathway for the microbial catabolism of pyrene.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Toxicological Research, Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, Arkansas 72079.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Heitkamp
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Cerniglia
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D011721:Pyrenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011721:Pyrenes; D010105:Oxygenases