PRODUCTION OF 3-VINYLCATECHOL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL-PROPERTIES OF PSEUDOMONAS LF-3, WHICH CAN ASSIMILATE STYRENE IN A 2-PHASE (SOLVENT-AQUEOUS)SYSTEM

A microorganism able to grow in mineral salt medium with styrene (0.1- 10%) as a sole carbon source was isolated. The bacterium belongs to th e genus Pseudomonas. Pseudomonas LF-3 used not only styrene but also t oluene as a carbon source, Cell viability, total cell count, and turbi dity with 0.1% showed good results, Cell viability reached 7 x 10(8) c ells/ml with 1.0% styrene and remained near this after reaching its ma ximum. Maximum cell viability was 1.4 x 10(6) cells/ml with 1.0% styre ne and 1.1 x 10(6) cells/ml with 10% styrene, respectively, Pseudomona s LF-3 grew on 1-phenylethanol, 2-phenylethanol, benzylalcohol, acetop henone, phenyl-1, 2-ethanediol, benzoic acid, or protocatechuic acid, The degradation product from styrene was separated and identified as 3 -vinylcatechol. The yellow color observed in the medium suggests a met a ring cleavage pathway.