title: Degradation of sulfonamide antibiotics by Microbacterium sp. strain BR1 - elucidating the downstream pathway.
abstract: Microbacterium sp. strain BR1 is among the first bacterial isolates which were proven to degrade sulfonamide antibiotics. The degradation is initiated by an ipso-substitution, initiating the decay of the molecule into sulfur dioxide, the substrate specific heterocyclic moiety as a stable metabolite and benzoquinone imine. The latter appears to be instantaneously reduced to p-aminophenol, as that in turn was detected as the first stable intermediate. This study investigated the downstream pathway of sulfonamide antibiotics by testing the strain's ability to degrade suspected intermediates of this pathway. While p-aminophenol was degraded, degradation products could not be identified. Benzoquinone was shown to be degraded to hydroquinone and hydroquinone in turn was shown to be degraded to 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene. The latter is assumed to be the potential substrate for aromatic ring cleavage. However, no products from the degradation of 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene could be identified. There are no signs of accumulation of intermediates causing oxidative stress, which makes Microbacterium sp. strain BR1 an interesting candidate for industrial waste water treatment.
authors: Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Gruendenstrasse 40, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Ricken
authors: Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Gruendenstrasse 40, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
authors: Oliver
authors: O
authors: Fellmann
authors: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors: Hans-Peter E
authors: HP
authors: Kohler
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Hankou Road 22, 210093 Nanjing, China.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Schäffer
authors: Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Gruendenstrasse 40, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Hankou Road 22, 210093 Nanjing, China. Electronic address: philippe.corvini@fhnw.ch.
authors: Philippe François-Xavier
authors: PF
authors: Corvini
authors: Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Gruendenstrasse 40, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
authors: Boris Alexander
authors: BA
authors: Kolvenbach
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000627:Aminophenols / Q000378:metabolism; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000627:Aminophenols; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016227:Benzoquinones; D013449:Sulfonamides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C004532:quinone