Anaerobic phototrophic metabolism of 3-chlorobenzoate by Phodopseudomonas palustris WS17

A mixed phototrophic culture was found to reductive metabolize 3-chlorobenzoate in the presence of benzoate following adaptation for a period of 7 weeks. The dominant bacterial isolate from this mixed culture, identified as Rhodopseudomonas palustris WS17, metabolized 3-chlorobenzoate completely in the presence of benzoate and light and in the absence of oxygen. [14C]3-chlorobenzoate was converted to 14CO2 and cell biomass. The results of tests conducted on several other isolates of R. palustris indicated that adaptation to 3-chlorobenzoate metabolism is a common phenomenon in this species