Coping with a Halogenated One-Carbon Diet: Aerobic Dichloromethane-Mineralising Bacteria

摘要: The degradation by bacteria of man-made, often toxic halogenated chemicals present as contaminants in the environment is a subject that continues to fascinate scientists and general public alike. This interest has stimulated research on organisms capable mineralising pollutants, enzymes genes involved this metabolism. In case dichloromethane-mineralising aerobic bacteria, which are review, dehalogenative metabolism stripped down its bare essentials: single enzyme, dichloromethane dehalogenase, consisting polypeptide, catalyses cleavage two carbon-halogen bonds from carbon atom, allows growth bacterial host with sole energy source. attractive simplicity system made mineralisation well-studied important paradigm for However, recent evidence suggests proteins other than dehalogenase also specifically required, sometimes even essential, dichloromethane. characterisation such accessory promising area enquiry postgenomic age biodegradation research.