Productive degradation of the biocide benzylbenzoate by Acinetobacter sp. strain AG1 isolated from the River Elbe

From water sampled in the River Elbe, we isolated a bacterial strain able to use the biocidal compound benzylbenzoate as its sole source of carbon and energy under aerobic conditions. This isolate was tentatively assigned to the genus Acinetobacter due to its morphological, physiological and partial SSU rRNA gene sequence properties. The productive bacterial degradation of the biocide benzylbenzoate was demonstrated, and the catabolic sequence was elucidated biochemically. Growth experiments, along with enzymatic studies, demonstrated that strain Acinetobacter sp. AG1 hydrolyzed benzylbenzoate enzymatically to yield benzylalcohol and benzoate. Benzylalcohol was further transformed to benzoate via benzaldehyde. Benzoate was subsequently channeled via catechol into the oxoadipate pathway for further degradation.