title: Degradation of meta-trifluoromethylbenzoate by sequential microbial and photochemical treatments.
abstract: m- and p-trifluoromethyl (TFM)-benzoates are incompletely degraded by aerobic bacteria that catabolize alkylbenzoates; biodegradation ceases after ring-fission with the accumulation of a trifluoromethyl muconate semialdehyde (2-hydroxy-6-oxo-7,7,7-trifluorohepta-2,4-dienoate, TFHOD) which is resistant to biochemical attack. A bacterium (Strain V-1), isolated from sea-water, grew aerobically on benzoate or m-toluate. Cells grown on benzoate or m-toluate oxidized both compounds at similar relative rates. Catabolism involved benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase (decarboxylating) and meta-cleavage to yield muconate semialdehydes. Cells grown on benzoate metabolized m-TFM-benzoate to TFHOD. The ring-fission products from m-toluate and TFHOD were degraded by sunlight, and equimolar fluoride was released from TFHOD. Sequential biochemical and photochemical treatment allowed the destruction of m-TFM-benzoate beyond the biochemically recalcitrant intermediate TFHOD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, FL 33149-1098.
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Amador
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Levinson
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001565:Benzoates / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D008386:Marine Biology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010782:Photolysis; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013472:Sunlight; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001565:Benzoates; D014050:Toluene; C055606:3-trifluoromethylbenzoate; D010105:Oxygenases; C019766:benzoate 1,2-dioxygenase; D010100:Oxygen