Metabolism of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate by a soil pseudomonad. Preliminary evidence for the metabolic pathway

Abstract

1. A pseudomonad capable of utilizing the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate as a sole carbon source was isolated from soil and cultured in liquid medium. 2. Analysis of induction patterns of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate-grown cells suggests that 5-chloro-o-cresol and 5-chloro-3-methylcatechol are early intermediates in the oxidation of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate. Cells were not adapted to oxidize 4-chloro-6-hydroxy-2-methylphenoxyacetate. 3. In culture, 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate rapidly disappeared and the chlorine in the molecule was quantitatively released as Cl− ion. 4. A lactone (γ-carboxymethylene-α-methyl-Δαβ-butenolide) was isolated from cultures and established as an intermediate. 5. The following metabolic pathway is suggested: 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate → 5-chloro-o-cresol → 5-chloro-3-methylcatechol → cis–cis-γ-chloro-α-methylmuconate → γ-carboxymethylene-α-methyl-Δαβ-butenolide → γ-hydroxy-α-methylmuconate. 6. The tentative identification of 5-chloro-o-cresol, a γ-chloro-α-methylmuconate and γ-hydroxy-α-methylmuconate in culture extracts supports this scheme. However, the catechol was never observed to accumulate in cultures. 7. The detection of 4-chloro-6-hydroxy-2-methylphenoxyacetate, 2-methyl-phenoxyacetate, a dehalogenated cresol and oxalate in culture extracts is discussed in relation to the proposed metabolic pathway.