Derivatization of bioactive carbazoles by the biphenyl-degrading bacterium Ralstonia sp. strain SBUG 290

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2009 May;83(1):67-75. doi: 10.1007/s00253-008-1853-z. Epub 2009 Jan 16.

Abstract

Different 9H-carbazole derivatives have been investigated within the last decades due to their broad range of pharmacological applications. While the metabolism of 9H-carbazole has previously been reported, nothing was known about the bacterial transformation of 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole and 9-methyl-9H-carbazole. Thus, for the first time, the bacterial biotransformation of 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole and 9-methyl-9H-carbazole was analyzed using biphenyl-grown cells of Ralstonia sp. strain SBUG 290 expressing biphenyl 2,3-dioxygenase. This strain accumulated 3-hydroxy-1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9-octahydrocarbazol-4-one and 6'-iminobicyclohexylidene-2',4'-dien-2-one as major products during the incubation with 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole. Carbazol-9-yl-methanol was verified as the primary oxidation product of 9-methyl-9H-carbazole. In addition, 9H-carbazol-1-ol, 9H-carbazol-3-ol, and 3-hydroxy-1,2,3,9-tetrahydrocarbazol-4-one where detected in lower concentrations during the transformation of carbazol-9-yl-methanol and 9-methyl-9H-carbazole. Products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, as well as (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance analyses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biotransformation
  • Biphenyl Compounds / metabolism
  • Carbazoles / metabolism*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Oxygenases / biosynthesis
  • Ralstonia / growth & development
  • Ralstonia / metabolism*

Substances

  • 2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Carbazoles
  • Iron-Sulfur Proteins
  • diphenyl
  • N-methylcarbazole
  • Oxygenases
  • biphenyl-2,3-dioxygenase