The 11-kb sequence encompassing the alkylbenzene upper pathway in Pseudomonas putida 01G3, a psychrotrophic strain able to degrade alkylbenzenes at low temperatures, was characterized. Together with a potential regulator (EbdR), six putative enzymes (EbdAaAbAcAdBC) were identified, and they exhibited highly significant similarities with enzymes implicated in the equivalent pathway in P. putida RE204. ebd genes appeared to be preferentially induced by ethylbenzene. Multiple-alignment data and growth rate measurements led us to classify 01G3 and closely related strains in two groups with distinct substrate specificities. Close to identified genes, remnants of IS5-like elements provided insight into the evolution of catabolic sequences through rearrangements from a less complex ancestral cluster.