REVIEW: Phenol Hydroxylases: An Update

I. P. Solyanikova and L. A. Golovleva^*

Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142292 Russia; fax: (095) 923-3602; E-mail: Golovleva@ibpm.Serpukhov.su

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received July 1, 1998; Revision received October 12, 1998

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This paper reviews the enzymology of microbial degradation of chlorinated phenols, a significant group of dangerous environmental pollutants. Two groups of phenol hydroxylases responsible for hydroxylation of (halo)phenols in the ortho or para position have been described. Among ortho-hydroxylating phenol hydroxylases, one-component flavoproteins or multicomponent enzyme systems are recognized, whereas single- or two-component enzyme systems catalyze para-hydroxylation of halophenols.

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KEY WORDS: phenol hydroxylases, halophenols, degradation

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