42. How important is the formation of intermediates such as catechol and protocatechuate for the degradation of aromatic

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42. How important is the formation of intermediates such as catechol and protocatechuate for the degradation of aromatic compounds by bacteria?
The most common central intermediates, in which many of the compounds aromatics have to be transformed, they are catechol (1,2-dihydroxybenzene) and protocatechuate (3,4-dihydroxybenzoate). Some compounds are degraded via gentisate (2,5-dihydroxybenzoate). As a general rule, substituted aromatic compounds in 1,2 and many mono-substituted positions are converted to catechol (example: salicylate and phenol). On the other hand, unsubstituted aromatic compounds (benzene, naphthalene) are degraded via 1,2-diphenolic intermediates, therefore they also reach catechol. aromatic compounds with two substitutions in positions 1,3 or 1,4 or polysubstituted are metabolized via the protocatechuate (3-hydroxybenzoate, 4-hydroxybenzoate).