Benzoate is a colorless or light yellow transparent liquid with very faint floral odor. It is an excellent solvent of synthetic musks and vanillin, and a fixative in bouguet perfumes. Benzoate is a common intermediate in the anaerobic metabolism of aromatic compounds, documented elsewhere in the UMBBD. Two branches for aerobic benzoate metabolism are dioxygenation to form catechol, found in some bacteria ([http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1938949|Harayama et al., 1991]), and monooxygenation to form protocatechuate, used mostly by fungi ([http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4026866|Sahasrabudhe et al., 1985]). Azoarcus evansii and some other bacteria use a third branch, starting with ligation with CoA to form benzoyl-CoA, and its monooxygenation to form the 2,3-epoxy compound. This is followed by hydrolysis of the epoxide, possibly with transient oxepin formation, to form 2,4-dehydroadipyl-CoA semialdehyde, and oxidation of this to 3,4-dehydroadipyl-CoA. This last compound is metabolized to succinyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA in several uncharacterized steps. This branch occurs in 4.5% of 649 bacteria whose genomes have been sequenced, compared to the 7% that contain the dioxygenase branch ([http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20452977|Rather et al., 2010]). 2-Chlorobenzoate and saccharin biodegradation is also included on this pathway map. 2-Chlorobenzene is used as a preservative for glues and paints and an intermediate in the manufacture of fungicides, dyes, pharmaceuticals and other organic chemicals. Saccharin, o-Benzosulfimide, is used as a flavoring agent and non-nutritive sweetener.