The Phenylacetyl-CoA Catabolon

The phenylacetyl-CoA catabolon is a complex degradative unit integrated by several catabolic pathways that transform different unrelated aromatic compounds (i.e., phenylacetic acid [PhAc], phenylacetaldehyde, styrene, tropic acid, 2-phenylethylamine, 2-phenylethanol, ethylbenzene, penylacetylamides and other esters, n-phenylalkanoates with an even number of carbon atoms) into general metabolites. This supracatabolic unit contains (1) a central pathway (catabolon core or route of convergence) that catalyzes the conversion of PhAc via phenylacetyl-CoA, into TCA intermediates, and (2) different peripheral routes (upper pathways) that are specifically involved in the conversion of different molecules into phenylacetic acid or into phenylacetyl-CoA. The phenylacetyl CoA catabolon, which has important biotechnological applications (enzymatic synthesis of penicillins, aromatic biotransformations, synthesis of new bioplastics, biosensor design, synthesis of drug vehicles, etc.), has been described in different nonphylogenetically related microbes, reinforcing the metabolic and industrial importance of this complex pathway.