ETHYLBENZENE DEGRADATION BY PSEUDOMONAS-FLUORESCENS STRAIN CA-4

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CA-4 is a bioreactor isolate capable of ethylbenzene degradation. Transposon mutagenesis and enzyme assays ha ve been performed which allow us to propose the ethylbenzene degradati ve pathway in operation in this strain. Ethylbenzene is initially conv erted to 2-phenylethanol. This is degraded to phenylacetaldehyde and t hen to phenylacetic acid. The major inducer of the pathway is ethylben zene itself. The pathway is regulated by the presence of non-aromatic carbon sources. Oxidation of ethylbenzene is repressed by glutamate, b ut not by citrate or glucose. A clone from a chromosomal library has b een found to complement a mutant deficient in the ability to convert e thylbenzene to 2-phenylethanol.