Abstract
Alkylphenols (like p-cresol and p-ethylphenol) are widespread pollutants of environmental and health concern. Aromatoleum aromaticum EbN1 anaerobically oxidizes these compounds via substrate-specifically regulated degradation pathways. Vagts et al. (e00595-19) demonstrate that the σ54-dependent two-component sensor/regulator system PcrSR transcriptionally activates the catabolic route of p-cresol. By combining targeted transcript profiling with theoretical considerations, the authors show that roughly 20 molecules of p-cresol or p-ethylphenol in the cytoplasm (10 nM extracellular) suffice to trigger the transcriptional response. These findings have implications for the enigmatic persistence of dissolved organic matter (escape from biodegradation), metabolism at low substrate availability, and development of novel biosensors.
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