title: Biodegradation kinetics of a mixture containing a primary substrate (phenol) and an inhibitory co-metabolite (4-chlorophenol).
abstract: Batch experiments on the simultaneous utilization of phenol (primary substrate) and 4-chlorophenol (cometabolic secondary substrate) demonstrated two critical substrate interactions. First, the cometabolic degradation of 4-chlorophenol was proportional to the rate of phenol oxidation, which provided the electrons for the initial monooxygenase reaction. Second, 4-chlorophenol inhibited the oxidation of the primary substrate, phenol. Modeling analyses of the degradation of phenol alone and of phenol and 4-chlorophenol together showed that the proportionality between phenol and 4-chlorophenol degradation rates averaged 0.1 mg 4-CP/mg phenol, which corresponds to 0.5% of the electrons generated by phenol oxidation being used as a cosubstrate for the monooxygenase reaction of 4-chlorophenol. In addition, modeling analyses suggest that 4-chlorophenol was a noncompetitive inhibitor of phenol oxidation for high phenol concentrations, but a competitive inhibitor for low phenol concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Saéz
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Rittmann
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D001711:Biotransformation; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004583:Electrons; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D019800:Phenol; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002733:Chlorophenols; D010636:Phenols; D019800:Phenol; C029107:4-chlorophenol; D010105:Oxygenases