4-nitrocatechol and hydroxyhydroquinone

4-Nitrophenol, a priority pollutant, is degraded by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria via 1,2,4-benzenetriol (BT) and hydroquinone (HQ), respectively. All enzymes involved in the two pathways have been functionally identified. So far, all Gram-negative 4-nitrophenol utilizers are from the genera Pseudomonas and

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Biotransformation; Burkholderia; Catechols; Dioxygenases; Hydroquinones; Nitrophenols; Pseudomonas

4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is a toxic compound formed in soil by the hydrolysis of organophosphorous pesticides, such as parathion. We previously reported the presence of the 4-NP degradation gene cluster (nphRA1A2) in Rhodococcus sp. strain PN1, which encodes a two-component 4-NP hydroxylase system that oxidizes 4-NP into 4-nitrocatechol. In the current study, another gene cluster (npsC and npsRA2A1B) encoding a similar 4-NP hydroxylase system was cloned from strain PN1. The enzymes from this 4-NP hydroxylase system (NpsA1 and NpsA2) were purified as histidine-tagged (His-) proteins and then characterized. His-NpsA2 showed NADH/FAD oxidoreductase activity, and His-NpsA1 showed 4-NP oxidizing activity in the presence of His-NpsA2. In the 4-NP oxidation using the reconstituted enzyme system (His-NpsA1 and His-NpsA2), hydroquinone (35% of 4-NP disappeared) and hydroxyquinol (59% of 4-NP disappeared) were detected in the presence of ascorbic acid as a reducing reagent, suggesting that, without the reducing reagent, 4-NP was converted into their oxidized forms, 1,4-benzoquinone and 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone. In addition, in the cell extract of recombinant Escherichia coli expressing npsB, a typical spectral change showing conversion of hydroxyquinol into maleylacetate was observed. These results indicate that this nps gene cluster, in addition to the nph gene cluster, is also involved in 4-NP degradation in strain PN1.

Topics: Bacterial Proteins; Benzoquinones; Catechols; Cloning, Molecular; Escherichia coli; Genes, Bacterial; Hydroquinones; Multigene Family; Nitrophenols; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygenases; Rhodococcus; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Substrate Specificity

Pseudomonas sp. strain WBC-3 utilizes para-nitrophenol (PNP) as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. PnpA (PNP 4-monooxygenase) and PnpB (para-benzoquinone reductase) were shown to be involved in the initial steps of PNP catabolism via hydroquinone. We demonstrated here that PnpA also catalyzed monooxygenation of 4-nitrocatechol (4-NC) to hydroxyquinol, probably via hydroxyquinone. It was the first time that a single-component PNP monooxygenase has been shown to catalyze this conversion. PnpG encoded by a gene located in the PNP degradation cluster was purified as a His-tagged protein and identified as a hydroxyquinol dioxygenase catalyzing a ring-cleavage reaction of hydroxyquinol. Although all the genes necessary for 4-NC metabolism seemed to be present in the PNP degradation cluster in strain WBC-3, it was unable to grow on 4-NC as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. This was apparently due to the substrate's inability to trigger the expression of genes involved in degradation. Nevertheless, strain WBC-3 could completely degrade both PNP and 4-NC when PNP was used as the inducer, demonstrating its potential in bioremediation of the environment polluted by both 4-NC and PNP.

Topics: Biocatalysis; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biotransformation; Catechols; Dioxygenases; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Hydroquinones; Oxygenases; Pseudomonas; Spectrophotometry; Time Factors

Pseudomonas cepacia RKJ200 (now described as Burkholderia cepacia) has been shown to utilize p-nitrophenol (PNP) as sole carbon and energy source. The present work demonstrates that RKJ200 utilizes 4-nitrocatechol (NC) as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy, and is degraded with concomitant release of nitrite ions. Several lines of evidence, including thin layer chromatography, gas chromatography, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, spectral analyses and quantification of intermediates by high performance liquid chromatography, have shown that NC is degraded via 1,2, 4-benzenetriol (BT) and hydroquinone (HQ) formation. Studies carried out on a PNP- derivative and a PNP+ transconjugant also demonstrate that the genes for the NC degradative pathway reside on the plasmid present in RKJ200; the same plasmid had earlier been shown to encode genes for PNP degradation, which is also degraded via HQ formation. It is likely, therefore, that the same sets of genes encode the further metabolism of HQ in NC and PNP degradation.

Topics: Burkholderia cepacia; Catechols; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Thin Layer; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hydroquinones; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Plasmids