Incorporation of haloalkanes into long chain fatty acids by the chloroalkane-degrading bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 13064

Abstract

Mycobacterium spp. and certain fungi when growing on long chain chloroalkanes such as 1-chlorohexadecane as sole carbon and energy source can incorporate the compounds as the corresponding ω-chlorinated fatty acids into the cellular lipid fraction of the organism in high yield. Transformation into chlorinated fatty acids of both longer and shorter chain length may also occur so that chlorinated fatty acids can constitute as much as 85% of the total fatty acid content (Murphy & Perry, 1983; 1984). The fate of the organic chlorine in the growth substrate which is not incorporated into the lipid fraction is not reported in the literature. Clearly such organisms must either possess a dehalogenase enzyme which allows complete metabolism of the chloroalkane or must be capable of at least partial metabolism of the substrate, β-oxidation proceeding until the proximity of the halogen substituent hinders further degradation.