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Bacterial growth with chlorinated methanes

T Leisinger1, S A Braus-Stromeyer

  • 1Mikrobiologisches Institut ETH, ETH-Zentrum Zürich, Switzerland.

Environmental Health Perspectives
|June 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Bacteria can metabolize certain chlorinated methanes like chloromethane and dichloromethane for energy. Specific enzymes facilitate these dehalogenation reactions, with dichloromethane dehalogenase belonging to the glutathione S-transferase family.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Chlorinated methanes are significant industrial chemicals and environmental pollutants.
  • While highly chlorinated methanes are recalcitrant, chloromethane and dichloromethane serve as carbon and energy sources for methylotrophic bacteria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the dehalogenation mechanisms involved in bacterial utilization of chloromethane and dichloromethane.
  • To characterize the enzymes and pathways employed by bacteria for chlorinated methane metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Enzyme assays and characterization.
  • Bacterial cultivation under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
  • Sequence analysis of bacterial enzymes.

Main Results:

  • An inducible enzyme in anaerobic bacteria converts chloromethane to methyltetrahydrofolate and chloride.
  • Aerobic bacteria utilize dichloromethane dehalogenase, a glutathione-dependent enzyme, converting dichloromethane to formaldehyde and chloride.
  • Bacterial dichloromethane dehalogenases are classified within the glutathione S-transferase family, specifically class Theta.
  • Dehalogenation mechanisms for aerobic chloromethane utilization and anaerobic dichloromethane growth remain unknown, suggesting novel pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial metabolism of chlorinated methanes involves distinct dehalogenation strategies.
  • Dichloromethane dehalogenase represents a key enzyme in aerobic methylotrophic pathways.
  • Further research is needed to uncover the biochemical basis for chloromethane and anaerobic dichloromethane utilization.

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