Abstract: Sphingobium sp. MEA3-1 is a high efficient 2,6-methylethylaniline degrading bacterium isolated by our research group in the early study. It was found that Sphingobium sp. MEA3-1 can also degrade phenol and other aromatic chemicals, so the characteristics and pathway of phenol degradation were explored in this study. The results showed that strain MEA3-1 could use phenol as the sole carbon source and energy for growth. The optimum temperature and pH value of degrading phenol by strain MEA3-1 were 30 ℃ and 6.0, respectively. Under the condition of adding Zn²⁺ or Fe³⁺, 93% of 100 mg/L phenol could be degraded by this strain within 3 d. The activities of phenol hydroxylase and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase in MEA3-1 crude enzyme solution were detected by UV spectrophotometer, which indicated that phenol was degraded by ortho cleavage pathway. Using the total DNA of MEA3-1 as the template, the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene（C23 O） of 933 bp, and two catechol 1,2-dioxygenase genes（C12 O-1 and C12 O-2） with size of 891 bp and 894 bp were successfully cloned respectively. These genes were expressed in E.coli and the function of C23 O and C12 O-2 were verified. This study provides a basis for degradation of phenol by Sphingobium sp.MEA3-1 and further revealing the mechanisms of aromatic compounds degradation by this strain.