Metobromuron: acetylation of the aniline moiety as a detoxification mechanism

p-Bromoaniline is rapidly acetylated by four soil microorganisms. Two fungal species convert metobromuron to p-bromoacetanilide, but a bacterial and an algal species do not metabolize metobromuron. Acetylation may serve as a detoxification mechanism by competing with azobenzene formation in utilizing the aniline formed by metabolism of substituted urea herbicides.