Involvement of carbon dioxide in the aerobic biodegradation of ethylene oxide, ethene, and vinyl chloride

The involvement of a carboxylase in metabolism of C-2 alkenes by Ochrobactrum sp. strain TD and Pseudomonas putida strain AJ was examined. With resting cells of strain TD grown on vinyl chloride, ethene, and ethylene oxide, the maximum specific rate of ethylene oxide consumption decreased significantly in the absence of external CO2 in comparison to cells provided with room air or added CO2. The amount of 14CO2 incorporated into biomass by resting cells of strain TD grown on ethylene oxide increased more than 13-fold when the assay substrate was ethylene oxide versus acetate. These results indicate that strain TD uses a carboxylase. Similar experiments were performed with strain AJ with the results suggesting that a carboxylase is not involved. In this regard, strain AJ is more similar to various Mycobacterium isolates that also do not appear to use a carboxylase during metabolism of vinyl chloride and ethene.