Isolation and genetic analysis of mutations allowing the degradation of furans and thiophenes by Escherichia coli

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Abstract
Successive mutations of Escherichia coli yielded a strain that was able to degrade a variety of heterocyclic oxygen- and sulfur-containing ring compounds. In particular, this strain could use both furan-2-carboxylic acid and thiophene-2-carboxylic acid as sole carbon and energy sources. Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds were not degraded. This mutant was isolated by selecting first for oxidation of furan derivatives and then for thiophene degradation. Genetic analysis revealed that mutations in three novel genes, thdA (12 min), thdC (92 min), and thdD (98 min), were required for thiophene degradation. In addition, constitutively at both of the previously characterized fadR and atoC loci was required for efficient thiophene breakdown. The pathway of furan and thiophene degradation remains obscure, but the inability of our mutants to degrade 5-nitro- or 5-bromo-substituted furan derivatives suggests that hydroxylation at position 5 may be involved. Thiophene derivatives were toxic when they were present at concentrations of 0.1% or greater; however, addition of trace amounts of phenylalanine plus tyrosine greatly reduced this effect.