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Journal of Bacteriology, January 2001, p. 752-757, Vol. 183, No. 2
Fakultät für Biologie,
Universität Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
Received 13 April 2000/Accepted 6 October 2000
The anaerobic bacterium Desulfobacterium cetonicum
oxidized p-cresol completely to CO2 with
sulfate as the electron acceptor. During growth,
4-hydroxybenzylsuccinate accumulated in the medium. This finding
indicated that the methyl group of p-cresol is activated by
addition to fumarate, analogous to anaerobic toluene,
m-xylene, and m-cresol degradation. In cell
extracts, the formation of 4-hydroxybenzylsuccinate from
p-cresol and fumarate was detected at an initial rate of 0.57 nmol min
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.2.752-757.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Initiation of Anaerobic Degradation of p-Cresol by
Formation of 4-Hydroxybenzylsuccinate in
Desulfobacterium cetonicum
1 (mg of protein)
1. This
activity was specific for extracts of p-cresol-grown cells. 4-Hydroxybenzylsuccinate was degraded further to
4-hydroxybenzoyl-coenzyme A (CoA), most likely via
-oxidation.
4-Hydroxybenzoyl-CoA was reductively dehydroxylated to
benzoyl-CoA. There was no evidence of degradation of
p-cresol via methyl group oxidation by
p-cresol-methylhydroxylase in this bacterium.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4020. Phone: (650) 723-0315. Fax: (650) 725-3162. E-mail: jmueller{at}stanford.edu.
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