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. 1992 Apr;58(4):1351–1359. doi: 10.1128/aem.58.4.1351-1359.1992

Metabolism of phenanthrene by the marine cyanobacterium Agmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6.

M L Narro 1, C E Cerniglia 1, C Van Baalen 1, D T Gibson 1
PMCID: PMC195597  PMID: 1599252

Abstract

Under photoautotrophic growth conditions, the marine cyanobacterium Agmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6 metabolized phenanthrene to form trans-9,10-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (phenanthrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol) and 1-methoxyphenanthrene as the major ethyl acetate-extractable metabolites. Small amounts of phenanthrols were also formed. The metabolites were purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography and identified from their UV, infrared, mass, and proton magnetic resonance spectral properties. A. quadruplicatum PR-6 formed phenanthrene trans-9,10-dihydrodiol with a 22% enantiomeric excess of the (-)-9S,10S-enantiomer. Incorporation experiments with 18O2 showed that one atom of oxygen from O2 was incorporated into the dihydrodiol. Toxicity studies, using an algal lawn bioassay, indicated that 9-phenanthrol and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone inhibit the growth of A. quadruplicatum PR-6.

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Selected References

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