Recruitment of naphthalene dissimilatory enzymes for the oxidation of 1,4-dichloronaphthalene to 3,6-dichlorosalicylate, a precursor for the herbicide dicamba.

Pseudomonas putida expresses plasmid-encoded enzymes and regulatory proteins for the dissimilation of naphthalene through salicylate and the alpha-keto acid pathway. A strain of P. putida (NAH:Tn5/G67) defective in salicylate hydroxylase (nahG) was assessed for its ability to oxidize 1,4-dichloronaphthalene. Washed cell suspensions were shown to accumulate 3,6-dichlorosalicylate, which, after further chemical treatment, yields the herbicide dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoate). However, the rate of dichlorosalicylate formation from dichloronaphthalene was less than 1% of the rate of salicylate formation from unsubstituted naphthalene.