Cometabolism

Co-metabolism is defined as the simultaneous degradation of two compounds, in which the degradation of the second compound (the secondary substrate) depends on the presence of the first compound (the primary substrate). For example, in the process of metabolizing methane, propane or simple sugars, some bacteria, such as Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1, can degrade hazardous chlorinated solvents, such as tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene, that they would otherwise be unable to attack. They do this by producing methane monooxygenase, an enzyme which is known to oxidize numerous compounds, including pollutants such as chlorinated solvents, via co-metabolism. Co-metabolism is thus used as an approach to biological degradation of hazardous solvents.