Mechanism of aniline degradation by yeast strain Candida methanosorbosa BP-6

The ability of some bacteria and filamentous fungi to degrade aniline and its derivatives was reported earlier in the literature. However, there was no information about the biodegradation of aniline by yeast strains. The present work is focused on yeast strain Candida methanosorbosa BP-6 which was isolated from the wastewater pool of the old dye factory "Boruta" in Zgierz by enrichment technique and identified by standard microbiological methods. We have found that strain C. methanosorbosa BP-6 readily grows in the presence of aniline and can degrade this substrate. Relatively good separation of peaks corresponding to aniline and its biodegradation intermediates allowed us their identification and quantification by HPLC methodology. We have found that major intermediates of this degradation are: catechol, cis,cis-muconic acid, muconolactone, 3-oxoadipate enol-lactone, 3-oxoadipic acid and succinic acid. Our results provide strong evidence that biodegradation of aniline by the yeast strain C. methanosorbosa BP-6 proceeds according to the intradiolic pathway.