Author
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Eaton, Richard |
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Submitted to: Microbial Releases
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2003 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Phthalates (benzene dicarboxylates) are widely used industrial chemicals; employed, for example, as plasticizers (phthalate esters) for polyvinyl chloride and as monomers (terephthalate) in poly ethylene glycol terephthalate. Although they do not appear to have acute toxicity, phthalate esters appear to have some chronic effects on reproduction. Because these chemicals are produced by the millions of tons annually, it is important to determine if and how they are degraded, and whether or not the products and intermediates in that degradation are harmful. This manuscript is a review of the microbial metabolism biodegradation) of phthalates with an emphasis on research published within the past twenty years, including the many molecular genetic analyses of pathway-encoding genes, operons, and their enzyme products. Phthalates, like other aromatic compounds, are metabolized by enzymes such as dioxygenases, dehydrogenases, decarboxylases, and hydrolases that are substrate specific, but also evolutionarily related to families of enzymes having similar catalytic activities toward entirely different substrates. This manuscript collects and analyzes a body of research describing microbial processes important for the recycling of chemicals in the environment. While the phthalates are not major agricultural chemicals, the types of metabolic pathways and reactions employed are used by microorganisms in the biodegradation of other aromatic chemicals of agricultural importance, including pesticides and lignin. The chapter is part what should be a significant book covering all aspects of the microbial metabolism of aromatic compounds. Technical Abstract: Phthalates (benzene dicarboxylates) are widely used industrial chemicals; employed, for example, as plasticizers (phthalate esters) for polyvinyl chloride and as monomers (terephthalate) in poly ethylene glycol terephthalate. Although they do not appear to have acute toxicity, phthalate esters appear to have some chronic effects on reproduction. Because these chemicals are produced by the millions of tons annually, it is important to determine if and how they are degraded, and whether or not the products and intermediates in that degradation are harmful. This is a review of the microbial metabolism (biodegradation) of phthalates with an emphasis on research published within the past twenty years, including the many molecular genetic analyses of pathway-encoding genes, operons, and their enzyme products. Phthalates, like other aromatic compounds, are metabolized by enzymes, such as; dioxygenases, dehydrogenases, decarboxylases, and hydrolases that are substrate specific, but also evolutionarily related to families of enzymes having similar catalytic activities toward entirely different substrates. This collects and analyzes a body of research describing microbial processes important for the recycling of chemicals in the environment. While the phthalates are not major agricultural chemicals, the types of metabolic pathways and reactions employed are used by microorganisms in the biodegradation of other aromatic chemicals of agricultural importance, including pesticides and lignin. The chapter is part what should be a significant book covering all aspects of the microbial metabolism of aromatic compounds. |
