EXTRA- AND INTRACELLULAR ESTERASES INVOLVED IN DIMETHYLTEREPHTHALATE CATABOLISM BY PSEUDOMONAS SP.

The strain Pseudomonas sp. 054, isolated previously from polluted soil, possesses a high biodegrading activity towards the aromatic ester dimethylterephthalate. The ester hydrolyzing activity of the strain was investigated. Two types of esterases, extra- and intracellular, were detected after growth in liquid medium. The enzyme activities were proved in the culture supernatant and in the crude cell extract by the use of a native electrophoresis. The extracellular protein with an esterase activity had a molecular weight of 67 kDa, while the intracellular fraction produced four separate bands with ester hydrolyzing activity