Production of cis-1,2-dihydroxy-3-methylcyclohexa-3,5-diene (toluene cis glycol) by Rhodococcus sp. MA 7249.

Abstract An attractive method for producing cis -1,2-dihydroxy-3-methylcyclohexa-3,5-diene (toluene cis glycol) was developed employing a cis dihydrodiol dehydrogenase “deficient” strain of Rhodococcus (MA 7249). The toluene cis glycol produced was found to have optical rotations of [α] d 25 = +25.8 (c 0.45, CH 3 OH) and +72.8 (c 0.42, CHCl 3 ) which indicated an absolute configuration of (1 S ,2 R ) when compared with previously published values. When cultivated in laboratory fermentor in the presence of toluene vapors, MA 7249 reached a toluene cis glycol concentration up to 18 g/ l in 110 h. Culture MA 7249 also accumulated cis (1 S ,2 R ) dihydrodiols from dihydronaphthalene, biphenyl, chlorobenzene, and styrene.