PAH-degrading bacteria
The biodegradation of PAHs has been observed under
both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The anaerobic
biodegradation of PAHs is a slow process, and its biochemical
mechanism has not yet been elucidated [4,5]. In
contrast, aerobic biodegradative pathways, especially those
for simple PAHs such as naphthalene and phenanthrene,
have been extensively studied over the past decade.
These pathways initiate the biodegradation of PAHs by
introducing both atoms of molecular oxygen into the
aromatic nucleus, the reaction being catalyzed by a multicomponent
dioxygenase which consists of a reductase, a
ferredoxin and an iron-sulfur protein [6]. Further reactions
lead to the formation of precursors of tricarboxylic acid
cycle intermediates. T