Preferential oxidative dehalogenation upon conversion of 2-halophenols by Rhodococcus opacus 1G

The regiospecificity of hydroxylation of C2-halogenated phenols by Rhodococ cus opacus 1G was investigated. Oxidative defluorination at the C2 position ortho with respect to the hydroxyl moiety was preferred over hydroxylation at the non fluorinated C6 position for all 2-fluorophenol compounds studie d. Initial hydroxylation of 2,3,5-trichlorophenol resulted in the exclusive formation of 3,5-dichlorocatechol. These results indicate that, in contras t to all other phenol ortho-hydroxylases studied so far, phenol hydroxylase from R. opacus 1G is capable of catalyzing preferential oxidative defluori nation but also oxidative dechlorination. (C) 1999 Federation of European M icrobiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.