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. 1994 Nov;60(11):4182–4185. doi: 10.1128/aem.60.11.4182-4185.1994

Reversible Conversion of 4-Hydroxybenzoate and Phenol by Clostridium hydroxybenzoicum

Xiaoming Zhang 1,†, Juergen Wiegel 1,*
PMCID: PMC201957  PMID: 16349447

Abstract

Reversible conversion of 4-hydroxybenzoate and phenol and their analogs was observed in whole-cell suspensions and cell extracts of Clostridium hydroxybenzoicum grown with 4-hydroxybenzoate and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate. Assuming that bicarbonate is the cosubstrate, the equilibrium constants calculated for the reactions 4-hydroxybenzoate- + H2O ⇆ phenol + HCO3- and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate- + H2O ⇆ catechol + HCO3- were 11.4 (± 0.5) and 5.05 (± 0.25), respectively. In a phenol-adapted sediment slurry, 4-hydroxybenzoate and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate were decarboxylated to phenol and to catechol, respectively, as intermediates without a lag time.

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Selected References

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