title: Isolation and identification of styrene-degrading Corynebacterium strains, and their styrene metabolism.
abstract: By supplying styrene in the gas phase as the sole carbon and energy source, styrene-degrading aerobic microorganisms were readily isolated from soil samples. They were identified as Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum and similar species, or Pseudomonas sp. Growth experiments on some aromatic compounds, resting-cell reactions with them, and the measurement of degrading enzyme activities suggest that Corynebacterium sp. AC-5 and St-5 strains metabolize styrene through styrene oxidation into styrene oxide, then convert it into phenylacetaldehyde by a reaction using styrene oxide isomerase, and phenylacetaldehyde is reduced to 2-phenylethanol. The Corynebacterium sp. ST-10 strain did not have styrene oxide isomerase, and metabolized styrene oxide by an unknown enzymatic reaction. Possible metabolism of styrene was proposed for the Corynebacterium strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Fukui University, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007399:Interphase; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013343:Styrenes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D013343:Styrenes