Conversion of Sphingobium chlorophenolicum ATCC 39723 to a hexachlorobenzene degrader by metabolic engineering.

The gene cassette (camA+ camB+ camC) encoding a cytochrome P-450cam variant was integrated into the nonessential gene pcpM of the pentachlorophenol degrader Sphingobium chlorophenolicum ATCC 39723 by homologous recombination. The recombinant strain could degrade hexachlorobenzene at a rate of 0.67 nmol.mg (dry weight)-1.h-1, and intermediate pentachlorophenol was also identified.