Toxicity of trichloroethylene to Pseudomonas putida F1 is mediated by toluene dioxygenase

Trichloroethylene was metabolically activated by toluene dioxygenase to produce toxic effects in Pseudomonas putida F1. Cytotoxicity was indicated by growth inhibition and by the covalent modification of cellular molecules in P. putida F1 exposed to [¹⁴C]trichloroethylene. With a toluene dioxygenase mutant, neither growth inhibition nor alkylation of intracellular molecules was observed.