title: Critical Reactions in Fluorobenzoic Acid Degradation by Pseudomonas sp. B13.
abstract: 3-Chlorobenzoate-grown cells of Pseudomonas sp. B13 readily cometabolized monofluorobenzoates. A catabolic pathway for the isomeric fluorobenzoates is proposed on the basis of key metabolites isolated. Only 4-fluorobenzoate was utilized and totally degraded after a short period of adaptation. The isoenzymes for total degradation of chlorocatechols, being found during growth with 3-chlorobenzoate or 4-chlorophenol, were not induced in the presence of fluorobenzoates. Correspondingly, only the ordinary enzymes of the benzoate pathway were detected in 4-fluorobenzoate-grown cells. Ring cleavage of 3-fluorocatechol was recognized as a critical step in 3-fluorobenzoate degradation. 2-Fluoro-cis,cis-muconic acid was identified as a dead-end metabolite from 2- and 3-fluorobenzoate catabolism. During 2-fluorobenzoate cometabolism, fluoride is eliminated by the initial dioxygenation.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Mikrobiologie der Gesellschaft für Strahlen- und Umweltforschung und der Universität, D-3400 Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hellwig
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reineke
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Knackmuss