A genetically modified solvent-tolerant bacterium for optimized productionof a toxic fine chemical

The aim of the study was to investigate whether toxic fine chemical product ion can be improved using the solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas putida S12 in a two-liquid-phase system consisting of aqueous media and a water-immiscible octanol phase with production of 3-methylcatechol from toluene as the model conversion. For this purpose the genes involved in this conversion, todC1C 2BAD from P. putida F1, were introduced into P. putida S12 with high stable expression. Production of 3-methylcatechol was monitored in batch incubati ons with different media using a single medium and a two-liquid medium-octa nol system. The maximum concentration of 3-methylcatechol increased two-fol d using the two-liquid medium-octanol system, irrespective of the selected medium.