Speranza G, Morelli CF, Cairoli P, Müller B, Schink B. Mechanism of anaerobic degradation of triethanolamine by a homoacetogenic bacterium.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2006;
349:480-4. [PMID:
16949039 DOI:
10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.08.001]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2006] [Accepted: 08/01/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Triethanolamine (TEA) is converted into acetate and ammonia by a strictly anaerobic, gram-positive Acetobacterium strain LuTria3. Fermentation experiments with resting cell suspensions and specifically deuterated substrates indicate that in the acetate molecule the carboxylate and the methyl groups correspond to the alcoholic function and to its adjacent methylene group, respectively, of the 2-hydroxyethyl unit of TEA. A 1,2 shift of a hydrogen (deuterium) atom from -CH2-O- to =N-CH2- without exchange with the medium was observed. This fact gives evidence that a radical mechanism occurs involving the enzyme and/or coenzyme molecule as a hydrogen carrier. Such a biodegradation appears analogous to the conversion of 2-phenoxyethanol into acetate mediated by another strain of the anaerobic homoacetogenic bacterium Acetobacterium.
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