Genomic analysis of the catabolic potentialities of Silicibacter pomeroyi DSS-3 against a wide range of natural aromatic compounds and sequence comparisons with the entire genome of this microorganism predicted the existence of at least seven main pathways for the conversion of the aromatic compounds to the intermediates which enter into TCA cycle, that is, the catechol (cat I and cat II genes) and protocatechuate (pca genes) branches of the β-ketoadipate pathway, the phenylacetate pathway (paa genes), the gentisate pathway (gtd genes), the ho...