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Alternate microbial strategies for the metabolism of a 3-methyl branched alkanoic acid

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Abstract

The branched alkanoic acid, 3-methylvaleric acid (3-MVA), was used to test the effect of a β-methyl branch on short chain alkanoic acid biodegradability by various bacteria. Most of the bacteria tested were able to usen-valeric acid as sole carbon source but were unable to assimilate 3-MVA. Three bacterial strains capable of growth on 3-MVA are described here because they exemplify metabolism of the branched compound via different strategies.Pseudomonas citronellolis used a β-methyl activation sequence involving CO2 fixation, analogous to that seen in the isovalerate pathway. AMycobacterium sp. used an α-oxidation sequence to convert 3-MVA to 2-methyl-butyrate, which was then assimilated via part of the isoleucine pathway. AnArthrobacter sp. metabolized 3-MVA via ω-oxidation to produce 3-methylglutarate that was degraded through the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate pathway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Campus Box 215, 80309, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    Edward P. Lau, Kenneth M. Gibson & R. Ray Fall

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  1. Edward P. Lau
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  2. Kenneth M. Gibson
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  3. R. Ray Fall
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Lau, E.P., Gibson, K.M. & Fall, R.R. Alternate microbial strategies for the metabolism of a 3-methyl branched alkanoic acid. Current Microbiology 4, 163–167 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02602822

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