Metabolism of trinitrobenzene by a Pseudomonas consortium

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Abstract
The metabolism of trinitrobenzene by a Pseudomonas consortium was studied. The Pseudomonas consortium used trinitrobenzene as a sole source of nitrogen, but not as a sole source of carbon. Trinitrobenzene was metabolized within 60 h of incubation. The main intermediates produced were dinitroaniline, 1,5-dinitrobenzene, nitroaniline, 5-nitrobenzene, and ammonia. The ammonia concentration in the culture medium increased during the course of incubation. Nearly stoichiometric amounts of 1,5-dinitrobenzene and 5-nitrobenzene were produced by the consortium. During trinitrobenzene metabolism by this bacterial consortium, the trinitrobenzene was first reduced to an amino compound, dinitroaniline. This intermediate was reductively deaminated with the release of ammonia into the culture medium and production of 1,5-dinitrobenzene. By the same mechanism, 1,5-dinitrobenzene was further converted to 5-nitrobenzene, which was not metabolized further, even after 60 days of incubation. This pathway is believed to be novel in that an aerobic bacterial consortium uses the nitroaromatic compound as its nitrogen source but leaves the ring intact. The bacterial consortium studied could be used in a syntrophic culture system with other 5-nitrobenzene-degrading bacteria to remove trinitrobenzene completely from soil and water at contaminated sites.Key words: trinitrobenzene, aniline, nitrobenzene, biodegradation, transformation.

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