Evolutions of microbial degradation pathways for parent xenobiotic and for its metabolites follow different schemes

The pathways used by microorganisms for the metabolism of every xenobiotic substrate are specific. The catabolism of a xenobiotic goes through a series of intermediate steps and lower intermediates (metabolites) appear in sequence. The structure of the metabolites can be similar to the parents due to kinship. The purposes of this study were to examine if the degradation pathways that were developed for a parent xenobiotic are effective to degrade the parent's lower metabolites, and if the reverse is true.

The xenobiotic substrates, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, the parent xenobiotic) and its metabolite 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), were independently subjected to acclimation and degradation tests by the biomasses of mixed-culture activated sludge and a pure culture of Arthrobacter sp.

Activated sludge and Arthrobacter sp. that were acclimated to 2,4-D effectively degraded 2,4-D and the lower metabolites of 2,4-D, typically 2,4-DCP. During the degradation of 2,4-D, accumulations of the lower metabolites of 2,4-D were not found. The degradation pathways acquired from acclimation to 2,4-D are effective for all the metabolites of 2,4-D. However, pathways acquired from acclimation to 2,4-DCP are not effective in the degradation of the parent 2,4-D.

Microorganisms acclimated to 2,4-D evolve their degradation pathways by a scheme that is different from the scheme the microorganisms employ when they are acclimated to the metabolites of 2,4-D.