Dehalogenation of dichloromethane by dichloromethane dehalogenase/glutathione S-transferase leads to formation of DNA adducts.

Formation of DNA adducts following conversion of dichloromethane by bacterial dichloromethane dehalogenase/glutathione S-transferase was demonstrated. Adducts included dichloromethane carbon and glutathione sulfur atoms. A reaction with DNA occurred preferentially at guanine bases. Increased DNA degradation in a polA mutant of Methylobacterium dichloromethanicum DM4 grown with dichloromethane confirmed the genotoxicity associated with dichloromethane degradation, suggesting an important role of DNA repair in the metabolism of halogenated, DNA-alkylating compounds by bacteria.