title: 19F NMR metabolomics for the elucidation of microbial degradation pathways of fluorophenols.
abstract: Of all NMR-observable isotopes (19)F is the one most convenient for studies on the biodegradation of environmental pollutants and especially for fast initial metabolic screening of newly isolated organisms. In the past decade we have identified the (19)F NMR characteristics of many fluorinated intermediates in the microbial degradation of fluoroaromatics including especially fluorophenols. In the present paper we give an overview of results obtained for the initial steps in the aerobic microbial degradation of fluorophenols, i.e. the aromatic hydroxylation to di-, tri- or even tetrahydroxybenzenes ultimately suitable as substrates for the second step, ring cleavage by dioxygenases. In addition we present new results from studies on the identification of metabolites resulting from reaction steps following aromatic ring cleavage, i.e. resulting from the conversion of fluoromuconates by chloromuconate cycloisomerase. Together the presented data illustrate the potential of the (19)F NMR technique for (1) fast initial screening of biodegradative pathways, i.e. for studies on metabolomics in newly isolated microorganisms, and (2) identification of relatively unstable pathway intermediates like fluoromuconolactones and fluoromaleylacetates.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Dreijenlaan 3, 6703 HA Wageningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Solyanikova
authors.forename: W J H
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Van Berkel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vervoort
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golovleva
authors.forename: I M C M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rietjens