title: [Fluorene degradation by bacteria of the genus Rhodococcus].
abstract: Of the four investigated Rhodococcus strains (R. rhodochrous 172, R. opacus 4a and 557, and R. rhodnii 135), the first three strains were found to be able to completely transform fluorene when it was present in the medium as the sole source of carbon at a concentration of 12-25 mg/l. At a fluorene concentration of 50-100 mg/l in the medium, the rhodococci transformed 50% of the substrate in 14 days. The addition of casamino acids and sucrose (1-5 g/l) stimulated fluorene transformation, so that R. rhodochrous 172 could completely transform it in 2-5 days. Nine intermediates of fluorene transformation were isolated, purified, and structurally characterized. It was found that R. rhodnii 135 and R. opacus strains 4a and 557 hydroxylated fluorene with the formation of 2-hydroxyfluorene and 2,7-dihydroxyfluorene. R. rhodochrous 172 transformed fluorene via two independent pathways to a greater degree than did the other rhodococci studied.
authors.affiliation: Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Nauki 5, Pushchino, Moscow Oblast, 142290 Russia.
authors.forename: Z I
authors.initials: ZI
authors.lastname: Finkel'shteĭn
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Baskunov
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Golovlev
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vervoort
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rietjens
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Baboshin
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Golovleva
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003470:Culture Media; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013395:Sucrose; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D003470:Culture Media; D005449:Fluorenes; C017721:casamino acids; C041509:fluorene; D013395:Sucrose; C477779:2-hydroxyfluorene