The in vitro hydroxylation of 4'-chloro-4-biphenylol by a mushroom tyrosinase preparation.

Incubation of 4'-chloro-4-biphenylol with a mushroom tyrosinase preparation gave the catechol, 4'-chloro-3,4-biphenyldiol as the sole in vitro metabolite. This compound was identical with the major rat urinary metabolite of 4'-chloro-4-biphenylol and thus confirms the structure assigned to the metabolite. This result also demonstrates a possible degradation pathway of hydroxylated chlorobiphenyls which are themselves the major metabolic degradation products of polychlorinated biphenyls.