Journal of Culture Collections

Volume 3, 2000-2002

DIMETHYLTEREPHTHALATE CATABOLISM BY PSEUDOMONAS SP.

Lilia Tserovska¹* and Rajcho Dimkov²

¹National Bank for Industrial Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, 1113 Sofia, P.O.Box 239, Bulgaria;

²The Sofia University, Biological Faculty, Department of Hydrobiology and Ichthiology,

8”Dragan Tzankov” st., 1421 Sofia, Bulgaria

Summary

Pseudomonas sp. strain 054 isolated from polluted soil utilizes dimethylterephthalate (DMT) as a sole carbon and energy source. The degradation of this compound starts with a two-stage hydrolysis of the ester bonds to monomethylterephthalate and terephthalic acid. In the meta-pathway for cleavage of the aromatic ring the latter is metabolized to protocatechuate. The induction of the ester hydrolysis is slightly specific, while the oxygenase mechanism is induced by substrates with aromatic structure.

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