Microbial metabolism of propanil and 3,4-dichloroaniline

A Pseudomonas sp. which grew on 4-chloroaniline as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen was able to degrade 15% of 0.05 mM [¹⁴C]3,4-dichloroaniline to ¹⁴CO₂ within 10 days in presence of 1.5 mM 4-chloroaniline. The catabolic enzymes which degraded 3,4-dichloroaniline to CO₂ were inducible by 4-chloroaniline and by 3,4-dichloroaniline. However, their activity was much lower on 3,4-dichloroaniline than on 4-chloroaniline. The strain showed no significant growth on 3,4-dichloroaniline as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Soils supplemented with [ring-¹⁴C]propanil and the Pseudomonas sp. evolved 25–50% ¹⁴CO₂ within 5 days. The ¹⁴CO₂ evolution remained below 1% in absence of the Pseudomonas sp.