INITIAL STEPS IN THE DEGRADATION OF METHOXYCHLOR BY THE WHITE-ROT FUNGUS PHANEROCHAETE-CHRYSOSPORIUM

The white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium mineralized [ring-C-1 4] methoxychlor [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (4-methoxyphenyl)ethane] and metabolized it to a variety of products. The three most prominent of t hese were identified as the 1-dechloro derivative 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (4-methoxyphenyl) ethane, the 2-hydroxy derivative 2,2,2-trichloro-1,1 -bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol, and the 1-dechloro-2-hydroxy derivative 2,2-dichloro-1,1-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol by comparison of the deri vatives with authentic standards in chromatographic and mass spectrome tric experiments. In addition, the 1-dechloro-2-hydroxy derivative was identified from its H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum, The 1-de chloro and 2-hydroxy derivatives were both converted to the 1-dechloro -2-hydroxy derivative by the fungus; i.e., there was no requirement th at dechlorination precede hydroxylation or vice versa. All three metab olites were mineralized and are therefore likely intermediates in the degradation of methoxychlor by P. chrysosporium.