PRODUCTION OF METHYL, DIMETHYL, ETHYL, CHLORO, FLUORO, AND HYDROXYL DERIVATIVES OF CATECHOL FROM 13 AROMATIC-AMINES BY THE TRANSPOSITIONAL MUTANT B-9 OF THE ANILINE-ASSIMILATING PSEUDOMONAS SPECIES AW-2

Resting cells of the transpositional mutant strain B-9, which was obta ined from the aniline-assimilating Pseudomonas sp. AW-2 and produced c atechol from aniline, exhibited the ability to oxidize 16 aromatic ami nes among 26 tested. Thirteen products from the 16 amines mere purifie d and crystallized, Analytical data including mass and nuclear magneti c resonance spectra of the products showed that methyl, dimethy, ethyl , chloro-, fluoro-, and hydroxyl derivatives of aniline were converted to the corresponding catechols, In particular, catechols were synthes ized from o-, m-, and p-toluidine, p-fluoroaniline, and m-aminophenol at a conversion rate of 100%. It was revealed that strain B-9 cells ex hibited extensive substrate specificity for aromatic amines, regardles s of the position of substituent groups in their isomers.