ABSTRACT
The "inert" hydrocarbon pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane) can be utilized as the sole source of carbon and energy for growth of a coryneform soil isolate. Identification of the metabolites 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoic acid and alpha-methylglutaric acid indicates that two pathways of fatty acid metabolism operate in this bacterial strain. The widespread use of pristane as a biological marker appears to be predicated on its structural similarity to phytol and its apparent stability, which may be only a reflection of the inability of microorganisms to carry out its anaerobic destruction.
Subject(s)
Alkanes/metabolism , Corynebacterium/metabolism , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Glutarates/biosynthesis , Aerobiosis , Chromatography , Chromatography, Gas , Chromatography, Thin Layer , Corynebacterium/growth & development , Fatty Acids/analysis , Glutarates/analysis , Mass Spectrometry , Oxidation-Reduction , Silicon DioxideSubject(s)
Benzene Derivatives/metabolism , Hydrocarbons, Halogenated/metabolism , Pseudomonas/metabolism , Bromine , Catechols , Chlorine , Fluorine , Glycols/metabolism , Iodine , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Models, Biological , Pseudomonas/enzymology , Spectrophotometry , Spectrum Analysis , Toluene/metabolismSubject(s)
Benzene/metabolism , Catechols/biosynthesis , Oxidoreductases/metabolism , Pseudomonas/enzymology , Benzene Derivatives/metabolism , Cysteine/pharmacology , Ethanol/pharmacology , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Iron/pharmacology , Manometry , Models, Biological , NAD/pharmacology , Oxidoreductases/antagonists & inhibitors , Oxygen Consumption , Pseudomonas/metabolism , Spectrophotometry , Sulfhydryl Compounds/pharmacology , Toluene/metabolismABSTRACT
A study of the microbial utilization of long-chain methyl ketones was under-taken. In general, enrichment culture experiments revealed that soil microorganisms capable of utilizing these compounds as growth substrates are ubiquitous. Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria were the prominent organisms exhibiting this capability. In particular, a strain of Pseudomonas isolated from soil degraded 2-tridecanone into several products that were recovered from cell-free culture fluid. These products were identified by gas-liquid chromatography as 2-tridecanol, 1-undecanol, 1-decanol, and undecanoic acid. A large amount of the substrate was converted to 1-undecanol. This compound was characterized further by classical methods of organic analysis. Unequivocal identification of 1-undecanol has established that some unique mechanism that involves subterminal oxidation must exist to degrade 2-tridecanone. No such mechanism has been reported for the biological degradation of long-chain, aliphatic, methyl ketones. A pathway for utilization of 2-tridecanone was proposed that is consistent with, but not confirmed by, the data presented.
