Metabolism of phenylbenzoate by Pseudomonas sp. strain TR3

A bacterial isolate, tentatively identified as Pseudomonas sp. strain TR3, was found to utilize the diaryl ester phenylbenzoate as sole source of carbon and energy. This strain has the ability to productively degrade phenylbenzoate and some substituted derivatives by a catabolic sequence which was characterized biochemically. The biodegradation of phenylbenzoate is thus initiated by an inducible esterase, effectively hydrolyzing the diaryl esters to produce stoichiometric amounts of two monoaromatic metabolites, identified as benzoate and phenol in the case of phenylbenzoate. The diaryl ester p-tolylbenzoate was hydrolyzed to yield benzoate and 4-methylphenol while 4-chlorophenylbenzoate gave rise to the production of benzoate and 4-chlorophenol. These monoaromatic catabolites were further degraded via the oxoadipate pathway.