Use of bacteria for rapid, pH-neutral, hydrolysis of the model hydrophobic carboxylic acid ester p-nitrophenyl picolinate.

Caulobacter crescentus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis cultures promote the hydrolysis of the model ester p-nitrophenyl picolinate (PNPP) at neutral pH with high efficiency. Hydrolysis is related to cell concentration, while the interaction of PNPP with both bacterial cells and their extracellular molecules is required for a maximum rate of PNPP hydrolysis in C. crescentus cultures. Furthermore, C. crescentus cultures hydrolyze PNPP at concentrations useful in synthetic chemistry.