Partial rapid metabolism of 1,2-dichloroethane by Methylosinus trichosporium OB-3b

Resting cell suspensions of the soil methylotroph Methylosinus trichosporium OB-3b rapidly dehalogenate ethylene dichloride, but the process stops after one halogen is removed. Work with 14C- and 13C-labeled 1,2-dichloroethane shows that the biodehalogenation entails a direct hydrox-ylation of one of the CCl bonds to produce chloroethanol. The latter is rapidly oxidized to chloroacetic acid. The organism does not metabolize this acid on the time scale of these experiments.