BIODEHALOGENATION - RAPID METABOLISM OF VINYL-CHLORIDE BY A SOIL PSEUDOMONAS SP DIRECT HYDROLYSIS OF A VINYL C-CL BOND

Resting cell suspensions of a soil Pseudomonas sp. readily metabolize vinyl chloride. Studies with a combination of C-13- and C-14-labeled vinyl chloride and metabolites establish that the initial dehalogenation step formally entails a direct hydroxylation of the C-Cl bond to produce acetaldehyde. This substance undergoes biochemical oxidation at both the carbonyl and the methyl carbons to produce acetic acid and hydroxyacetaldehyde. These are both further oxidized by the organism to hydroxyacetic acid (glycolic acid), and the latter is converted to carbon dioxide. The rate of Cl- liberation from vinyl chloride is a function of growth conditions. Cells grown on 3-chloropropanol carry out the dehalogenation of vinyl chloride with a t1/2 of 1.3 h at a cell density of 0.1 g/ml.