Abstract
Degradation of indole and quinoline by Desulfobacterium␣indolicum was studied in batch cultures. The first step in the degradation pathway of indole and quinoline was a hydroxylation at the 2 position to oxindole and 2-hydroxyquinoline respectively. These hydroxylation reactions followed saturation kinetics. The kinetic parameters for indole were an apparent maximum specific transformation rate (V Amax) of 263 μmol mg total protein−1 day−1 and an apparent half-saturation constant (K Am) of 139 μM. The V Amax for quinoline was 170 μmol mg total protein−1 day−1 and K Am was 92 μM. Oxindole inhibited indole hydroxylation whereas 2-hydroxyquinoline stimulated quinoline hydroxylation. An adaptation period of approximately 20 days was required before transformation of 2-hydroxyquinoline in cultures previously grown on quinoline. Indole and quinoline were hydroxylated with a lag phase shorter than 4 h in a culture adapted to ethanol. Chloramphenicol inhibited the hydroxylation of indole and quinoline in ethanol-adapted cells, indicating an inducible enzyme system. Chloramphenicol had no effect on the hydroxylation of indole in quinoline-adapted cells or on the hydroxylation of quinoline in indole-adapted cells. This indicated that it was the same inducible enzyme system that hydroxylated indole and quinoline.
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Received: 16 July 1996 / Received revision: 23 September 1996 / Accepted: 29 September 1996
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Licht, D., Johansen, S., Arvin, E. et al. Transformation of indole and quinoline by Desulfobacterium indolicum (DSM 3383). Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 47, 167–172 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002530050907
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002530050907