Reductive deamination as a new step in the anaerobic microbial degradation of halogenated anilines.

Vasili Travkin, Boris P Baskunov, Eugene L Golovlev, Marelle G Boersma, Sjef Boeren, Jacques Vervoort, Willem J H van Berkel, Ivonne M C M Rietjens, Ludmila A Golovleva

Index: FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 209(2) , 307-12, (2002)

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Abstract

In this paper we report the isolation and characterization of an anaerobic enrichment culture as well as of a Rhodococcus sp. strain 2 capable of degrading 3,4-dihaloanilines under nitrate reducing conditions. Using mass spectrometry several of the intermediates formed in the process of 3,4-dichloroaniline conversion were identified. Most interesting is the observation of reductive deamination and the formation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene as one of the intermediates. Using 19F NMR and fluorinated 3,4-dihaloaniline model substrates it was corroborated that reductive deamination of the anilines to give dihalobenzene intermediates represents a new initial step in the anaerobic microbial degradation of these halogenated anilines.