Abstract
The microbial degradation of 3-(5-tert-butyl-3-isoxazolyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea (isouron) was investigated by the soil perfusion technique using a soil collected from an upland field. Isouron was degraded within four weeks in the perfusion culture. During the course of isouron degradation, three new compounds were detected, and these were identified as 1-(1-amino-4, 4-dimethyl-3-oxo-1-pentenyl)-3, 3-dimethylurea, 1, 1-dimethyl-3-(2-pivaloylacetyl)-urea, and 4-amino-6-tert-butyl-2H-1, 3-oxazin-2-one. The same metabolites were also detected in the liquid culture containing a small amount of soil under standing conditions, but not detected under shaking conditions. A strain of yeast capable of degrading isouron was isolated from the soil perfusate and was identified to be Hansenula saturnus. New metabolic pathways of isouron were proposed from the results.
