cis-Abienol-transformable bacterium JTS- 131 was identified as Rhodococcus erythropolis. This bacterium had a plasmid, pCA4. Cured strains which had no plasmid were obtained by mitomycin C treatment. These cured strains lost the ability to oxidize the C-18 methyl of cis-abienol and sclareol. From these results, it was considered that C-18 methyl oxidation of these labdanes was determined by the plasmid, pCA4, in this bacterium.
