Benzoate metabolism in Pseudomonas putida(arvilla) mt-2: demonstration of two benzoate pathways.

Benzoate-grown cells of Pseudomonas putida(arvilla) mt-2 contain both metapyrocatechase and pyrocatechase activities, although the former activity is much higher than that of the latter. A spontaneous mutant deficient in metapyrocatechase and 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde hydrolyase, the first two enzymes in the meta-cleavage pathway of the ring of catechol, has been isolated from this strain. This mutant grows well on a minimal medium containing benzoate as a sole carbon source and has the high activity of pyrocatechase. These findings indicate that the strain mt-2 possesses the genetic capacity for enzymes of both the meta- and ortho-cleavage pathways of benzoate degradation, but its phenotypic expression is the meta pathway.