Biotransformations of (+/-)-geosmin by terpene-degrading bacteria.

Two terpene-degrading bacteria able to transform (+/-)-geosmin have been identified. Pseudomonas sp. SBR3-tpnb, following growth on gamma-terpinene, converts (+/-)-geosmin to several products; the major products are ketogeosmins. Rhodococcus wratislaviensis DLC-cam, isolated on D-camphor, also converts (+/-)-geosmin to several oxidation products, primarily ketogeosmins identical to those produced by strain SBR3-tpnb as well as hydroxygeosmins. This conversion appears to be inducible by (+/-)-geosmin and not by D-camphor.