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Hydrocarbon Metabolism by Brevibacterium erythrogenes: Normal and Branched Alkanes¹

^a Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903

ABSTRACT

Branched- and straight-chain alkanes are metabolized by Brevibacterium erythrogenes by means of two distinct pathways. Normal alkanes (e.g., n-pentadecane) are degraded, after terminal oxidation, by the beta-oxidation system operational in fatty acid catabolism. Branched alkanes like pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane) and 2-methylundecane are degraded as dicarboxylic acids, which also undergo beta-oxidation. Pristane-derived intermediates are observed to accumulate, with time, as a series of dicarboxylic acids. This dicarboxylic acid pathway is not observed in the presence of normal alkanes. Release of ¹⁴CO₂ from [1-¹⁴C]pristane is delayed, or entirely inhibited, in the presence of n-hexadecane, whereas CO₂ release from n-hexadecane remains unaffected. These results suggest an inducible dicarboxylic acid pathway for degradation of branched-chain alkanes.

² Present address: Department of Biology University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky. 40208.

¹ Paper of the journal series, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903.

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