Degradation of phenolic compounds by the yeast Candida tropicalis HP 15. I. Physiology of growth and substrate utilization.

The yeast Candida tropicalis HP 15 was able to utilize phenol up to concentrations of 2.5 g/l as a sole carbon and energy source. Phenol was metabolized via the beta-ketoadipate pathway by an inducible enzyme system. Besides phenol, resorcinol, quinol, hydroxyquinol, catechol, and to a lesser extend 4-chlorocatechol, protocatechuate, p-cresol, m-chlorophenol, and p-chlorophenol were metabolized by the yeast. A total of 30 aromatic compounds were tested as substrates.