Cloning and expression of a pathway for benzene and toluene from Bacillus stearothermophilus

Bacillus stearothermophilus strain BR325 demonstrating broad aromatic substrate capability was isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil. The chromosomally-located aromatic pathway from this isolate was cloned into Escherichia coli as a 32 kb insert in cosmid pHC79, conferring growth on benzene, phenol, and toluene as sole carbon sources.