Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1997 Aug;63(8):3170–3175. doi: 10.1128/aem.63.8.3170-3175.1997

Anaerobic Degradation of m-Cresol by a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium

K L Londry, P M Fedorak, J M Suflita
PMCID: PMC1389228  PMID: 16535673

Abstract

m-Cresol metabolism under sulfate-reducing conditions was studied with a pure culture of Desulfotomaculum sp. strain Groll. Previous studies with a sulfate-reducing consortium indicated that m-cresol was degraded via an initial para-carboxylation reaction. However, 4-hydroxy-2-methylbenzoic acid was not degraded by strain Groll, and no evidence for ring carboxylation of m-cresol was found. Strain Groll readily metabolized the putative metabolites of a methyl group oxidation pathway, including 3-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, and benzoic acid. Degradation of these compounds preceded and inhibited m-cresol decay. 3-Hydroxybenzoic acid was detected in cultures that received either m-cresol or 3-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, and trace amounts of benzoic acid were detected in m-cresol-degrading cultures. Therefore, we propose that strain Groll metabolizes m-cresol by a methyl group oxidation pathway which is an alternate route for the catabolism of this compound under sulfate-reducing conditions.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (229.8 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bisaillon J. G., Lépine F., Beaudet R., Sylvestre M. Carboxylation of o-cresol by an anaerobic consortium under methanogenic conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Aug;57(8):2131–2134. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.8.2131-2134.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Hopper D. J., Bossert I. D., Rhodes-Roberts M. E. p-cresol methylhydroxylase from a denitrifying bacterium involved in anaerobic degradation of p-cresol. J Bacteriol. 1991 Feb;173(3):1298–1301. doi: 10.1128/jb.173.3.1298-1301.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Kuever J., Kulmer J., Jannsen S., Fischer U., Blotevogel K. H. Isolation and characterization of a new spore-forming sulfate-reducing bacterium growing by complete oxidation of catechol. Arch Microbiol. 1993;159(3):282–288. doi: 10.1007/BF00248485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Londry K. L., Fedorak P. M. Benzoic acid intermediates in the anaerobic biodegradation of phenols. Can J Microbiol. 1992 Jan;38(1):1–11. doi: 10.1139/m92-001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Londry K. L., Fedorak P. M. Use of Fluorinated Compounds To Detect Aromatic Metabolites from m-Cresol in a Methanogenic Consortium: Evidence for a Demethylation Reaction. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 Jul;59(7):2229–2238. doi: 10.1128/aem.59.7.2229-2238.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Lovley D. R., Lonergan D. J. Anaerobic Oxidation of Toluene, Phenol, and p-Cresol by the Dissimilatory Iron-Reducing Organism, GS-15. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Jun;56(6):1858–1864. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.6.1858-1864.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Rabus R., Widdel F. Conversion studies with substrate analogues of toluene in a sulfate-reducing bacterium, strain Tol2. Arch Microbiol. 1995 Dec;164(6):448–451. doi: 10.1007/BF02529744. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ramanand K., Suflita J. M. Anaerobic degradation of m-cresol in anoxic aquifer slurries: carboxylation reactions in a sulfate-reducing bacterial enrichment. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991 Jun;57(6):1689–1695. doi: 10.1128/aem.57.6.1689-1695.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Roberts D. J., Fedorak P. M., Hrudey S. E. CO(2) Incorporation and 4-Hydroxy-2-Methylbenzoic Acid Formation during Anaerobic Metabolism of m-Cresol by a Methanogenic Consortium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Feb;56(2):472–478. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.2.472-478.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Rudolphi A., Tschech A., Fuchs G. Anaerobic degradation of cresols by denitrifying bacteria. Arch Microbiol. 1991;155(3):238–248. doi: 10.1007/BF00252207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Schennen U., Braun K., Knackmuss H. J. Anaerobic degradation of 2-fluorobenzoate by benzoate-degrading, denitrifying bacteria. J Bacteriol. 1985 Jan;161(1):321–325. doi: 10.1128/jb.161.1.321-325.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Seyfried B., Glod G., Schocher R., Tschech A., Zeyer J. Initial reactions in the anaerobic oxidation of toluene and m-xylene by denitrifying bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 Nov;60(11):4047–4052. doi: 10.1128/aem.60.11.4047-4052.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Taylor B. F., Hearn W. L., Pincus S. Metabolism of monofluoro- and monochlorobenzoates by a dentrifying bacterium. Arch Microbiol. 1979 Sep;122(3):301–306. doi: 10.1007/BF00411295. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES