Inhibition of diethyl ether degradation in Rhodococcus sp. strain DEE5151 by glutaraldehyde and ethyl vinyl ether

Alkyl ether-degrading Rhodococcus sp. strain DEE5151, isolated from activated sewage sludge, has an activity for the oxidation of a variety of alkyl ethers, aralkyl ethers and dibenzyl ether. The whole cell activity for diethyl ether oxidation was effectively inhibited by 2,3-dihydrofurane, ethyl vinyl ether and glutaraldehyde. Glutaraldehyde of less than 30 microM inhibited the activity by a competitive manner with the inhibition constant, K(I) of 7.07+/-1.36 microM. The inhibition type became mixed at higher glutaraldehyde concentrations >30 microM, probably due to the inactivation of the cell activity by the Schiff-base formation. Structurally analogous ethyl vinyl ether inhibited the diethyl ether oxidation activity in a mixed manner with decreasing the apparent maximum oxidation rate, v(max)(app), and increasing the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant, K(M)(app). The mixed type inhibition by ethyl vinyl ether seemed to be introduced not only by the structure similarity with diethyl ether, but also by the reactivity of the vinyl ether with cellular components in the whole cell system.