title: Short communication: Benzene metabolism via the intradiol cleavage in a Rhodococcus sp.
abstract: Benzene was metabolized by Rhodococcus sp. 33 through the intradiol cleavage (ortho-) pathway producing cis-benzene glycol, catechol and cis, cis-muconic acid as the intermediates. This is the first elucidation of the pathway by which benzene is degraded by a gram-positive organism. The enzyme assays have also suggested that Rhodococcus 33 does not have a fully functional tricarboxylic acid cycle but may have an operational glyoxylate bypass.
authors.affiliation: School of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luz Paje
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Couperwhite