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J Bacteriol. 1961 September; 82(3): 376-382
Copyright ©, 1961, The Williams & Wilkins Company. All Rights Reserved.

PATHWAY FOR THE DISSIMILATION OF ITACONIC AND MESACONIC ACIDS

^a Department of Microbiology and the Walter G. Zoller Clinic, The University of Chicago, Chicago 37, Illinois

ABSTRACT

BRIGHTMAN, VERNON (The University of Chicago, Chicago), AND WILLIAM R. MARTIN. Pathway for the dissimilation of itaconic and mesaconic acids. J. Bacteriol. 82:376–382. 1961.—Studies on the oxidation of itaconic and mesaconic acids by a Pseudomonas sp., adapted to utilize either of these acids as a sole carbon source, have provided evidence for a pathway converting both itaconate and mesaconate to succinate. A metabolic interconversion of itaconate, mesaconate, and citramalate has also been demonstrated by whole cell and cell-free enzyme studies.

Succinate derived from methylene-labeled itaconate was found to be labeled in the inside carbon atoms, a fact which indicates that the branched chain compound was converted into a straight chain molecule by a shift of the methylene carbon (C-5) from the side chain of itaconate to a position between C-2 and C-3 in an, as yet, unknown straight chain intermediate prior to its conversion to succinate.

¹ Present address: University of Pennsylvania Dental School, 401 Spruce Street, Philadelphia 6, Pa.