Abstract
TOL plsmid size of Flavobacterium odoratum SUB53 was estimated as 83 Md and the optimum concentration of m-toluate degradation by TOL plasmid was 5 mM. $H_{2}$ production by Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides KCTC1425 was largely dependent on nitrogenase activity and showed the highest at 30 mM malate with 7 mM glutamate as nitrogen source. Nitrogenase activities were inhibited by 0.3 mM $NH_{4}^{+}$ions, to be appeared the decrease of $H_{2}$ production. Conjugation of TOL plasmids from F. odoratum SUB53 and Pseudomonas putida mt-2 to R. sphaeroides showed the optimum at the exponential stage of recipient cells in presence of helper plasmid pRK2013. According to the investigation of catechol-1,2-oxygenase (C-1, 2-O) and catechol-2,3-oxygenase (C-2,3-O) activities of R. sphaeroides C1 (TOL SUB53) and C2 (TOL mt-2), the gene for C-2,3-O is located on TOL plasmid and gene for C-1, 2-O on the chromosome of R. sphaeroides. m-Toluate was biodegraded by TOL plasmid in R. sphaeroides C1 and C2, presumably to be produced $H_{2}$ gas from the secondary metabolites of m-toluate.e.
