Catabolism of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by Mycobacterium vaccae

Mycobacterium vaccae strain JOB-5 cometabolized 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in the presence of propane as a carbon and energy source. Two novel oxidized metabolites, as well as several known reduced products, were generated during catabolism of TNT by M. vaccae. During the cometabolic process, there was transient production of a brown chromophore. This compound was identified as 4-amino-2,6-dinitrobenzoic acid. When M. vaccae was incubated with [14C]TNT and propane, 50% of the added radiolabel was incorporated into the cellular lipid fraction. These results suggest that ring cleavage occurred prior to the incorporation of radiolabelled carbon into phosphatidyl-L-serine, phosphatidylethanolamine, cardiolipin, and other polar lipids.