Description:
Benzene compounds with dihydroxylated rings, e.g. catechol (1,2-benzenediol) and hydroquinone (1,4-benzenediol), are important intermediates in bacterial catabolism of aromatic compounds. The bacterial catabolism of orcinol (5-methyl-1,3-benzenediol) can be used as a model for the metabolism of other members of the resorcinol (1,3-benzenediol) compound family. This family includes many commercially-important compounds; for example, 4-hexylresorcinol is used medicinally as a topical antiseptic. This pathway is based on [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1254564|Chapman and Ribbons (1976)].