Characterization of styrene catabolic pathway in Pseudomonas fluorescens ST

Styrene degradation by Pseudomonas fluorescens ST was determined by analysis of recombinant clones generated. Styrene is degraded via the oxidation of the side chain leading to epoxystyrene, which is subsequently isomerized to phenylacetaldehyde and then oxidized to phenylacetic acid. The acid appears to be activated by phenylacetyl-CoA ligase before hydroxylation to form o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid and then homogentisic acid. The catabolic genes are organized in two operons: the upper pathway genes responsible for the oxidation of styrene to phenylacetic acid, and the lower pathway genes involved in the conversion of the acid into compounds which are then further metabolised in the Krebs cycle.