Bacterial breakdown of benomyl. II. Mixed cultures.

Experiments with mixed bacterial cultures grown in liquid media which contained the benzimidazole fungicide benomyl, with or without Na-lactate, as source of carbon provided circumstantial evidence for cleavage of the benzimidazole heterocyclic ring. Yet, neither 2-aminobenzimidazole (2-AB) nor benzimidazole, as sole source of carbon, supported any bacterial growth. "Total 14C-balance analysis" experiments conclusively showed production of 14CO2 from [2-14C]methyl benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate (MBC), and thus cleavage of the benzimidazole nucleus: bioassays, however, showed that the actual rate of benomyl and MBC breakdown was only small, the parent compound benomyl being still recovered in substantial quantities after up to 80 days of incubation. Therefore, cleavage of the benzimidazole ring is probably a matter of cometabolism, n-butylamine which originates from the butylcarbamoyl side chain serving as the proper source of carbon. Besides radiolabelled 2-AB and CO2, an unknown metabolite was isolated which showed characteristics of a 2-AB-nucleotide. Probably, 2-AB was incorporated into bacterial DNA, which upon lysis of the bacterial cells gave rise to the nucleotide in question. Therefore, 2-AB might exert its inhibitory action by interfering with the normal functioning of DNA.