Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1976 Jul;127(1):204–210. doi: 10.1128/jb.127.1.204-210.1976

Pathways of 4-hydroxybenzoate degradation among species of Bacillus.

R L Crawford
PMCID: PMC233052  PMID: 931947

Abstract

The pathways used by three bacterial strains of the genus Bacillus to degrade 4-hydroxybenzoate are delineated. When B. brevis strain PHB-2 is grown on 4-hydroxybenzoate, enzymes of the protocatechuate branch of the beta-ketoadipate pathway are induced. In contrast, B. circulans strain 3 contains high levels of the enzymes of the protocatechuate 2,3-dioxygenase pathway after growth on 4-hydroxybenzoate. B. laterosporus strain PHB-7a degrades 4-hydroxybenzoate by a novel reaction sequence. After growth on 4-hydroxybenzoate, strain PHB-7a contains high levels of gentisate oxygenase (EC 1.13.11.4) and maleylpyruvate hydrolase. Whole cells of strain PHB-7a (grown on 4-hydroxylbenzoate) accumulate 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate (gentisate) from 4-hydroxybenzoate when incubated in the presence of 1mM alpha,alpha'-dipyridyl. Thus, strain PHB-7a appears to convert 4-hydroxybenzoate to gentisate, which is further degraded by the glutathione-independent gentisic acid pathway. These pathway delineations provide evidence that Bacillus species are derived from a diverse evolutionary background.

Full text

PDF
207

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bayly R. C., Dagley S., Gibson D. T. The metabolism of cresols by species of Pseudomonas. Biochem J. 1966 Nov;101(2):293–301. doi: 10.1042/bj1010293. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bouknight R. R., Sadoff H. L. Tryptophan catabolism in Bacillus megaterium. J Bacteriol. 1975 Jan;121(1):70–76. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.1.70-76.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Buswell J. A. Metabolism of phenol and cresols by Bacillus stearothermophilus. J Bacteriol. 1975 Dec;124(3):1077–1083. doi: 10.1128/jb.124.3.1077-1083.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Buswell J. A. The meta-cleavage of catechol by a thermophilic Bacillus species. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1974 Oct 8;60(3):934–941. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(74)90404-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Buswell J. A., Twomey D. G. Utilization of phenol and cresols by Bacillus stearothermophilus, strain PH24. J Gen Microbiol. 1975 Apr;87(2):377–379. doi: 10.1099/00221287-87-2-377. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Collinsworth W. L., Chapman P. J., Dagley S. Stereospecific enzymes in the degradation of aromatic compounds by pseudomonas putida. J Bacteriol. 1973 Feb;113(2):922–931. doi: 10.1128/jb.113.2.922-931.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Crawford R. L. Degradation of 3-hydroxybenzoate by bacteria of the genus Bacillus. Appl Microbiol. 1975 Sep;30(3):439–444. doi: 10.1128/am.30.3.439-444.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Crawford R. L., Hutton S. W., Chapman P. J. Purification and properties of gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase from Moraxella osloensis. J Bacteriol. 1975 Mar;121(3):794–799. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.3.794-799.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Crawford R. L. Novel pathway for degradation of protocatechuic acid in Bacillus species. J Bacteriol. 1975 Feb;121(2):531–536. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.2.531-536.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Cánovas J. L., Stanier R. Y. Regulation of the enzymes of the beta-ketoadipate pathway in Moraxella calcoacetica. 1. General aspects. Eur J Biochem. 1967 May;1(3):289–300. doi: 10.1007/978-3-662-25813-2_40. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Dagley S. Catabolism of aromatic compounds by micro-organisms. Adv Microb Physiol. 1971;6(0):1–46. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2911(08)60066-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. ENSIGN J. C., RITTENBERG S. C. THE PATHWAY OF NICOTINIC ACID OXIDATION BY A BACILLUS SPECIES. J Biol Chem. 1964 Jul;239:2285–2291. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hardisson C., Sala-Trepat J. M., Stanier R. Y. Pathways for the oxidation of aromatic compounds by Azotobacter. J Gen Microbiol. 1969 Nov;59(1):1–11. doi: 10.1099/00221287-59-1-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hareland W. A., Crawford R. L., Chapman P. J., Dagley S. Metabolic function and properties of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid 1-hydroxylase from Pseudomonas acidovorans. J Bacteriol. 1975 Jan;121(1):272–285. doi: 10.1128/jb.121.1.272-285.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hegeman G. D., Rosenberg E. Y., Kenyon G. L. Mandelic acid racemase from Pseudomonas putida. Purification and properties of the enzyme. Biochemistry. 1970 Oct 13;9(21):4029–4036. doi: 10.1021/bi00823a001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hegeman G. D., Rosenberg S. L. The evolution of bacterial enzyme systems. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1970;24:429–462. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.24.100170.002241. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hirschberg R., Ensign J. C. Oxidation of nicotinic acid by a Bacillus species: regulation of nicotinic acid and 6-hydroxynicotinic acid hydroxylases. J Bacteriol. 1972 Oct;112(1):392–397. doi: 10.1128/jb.112.1.392-397.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hirschberg R., Ensign J. C. Oxidation of nicotinic acid by a Bacillus species: source of oxygen atoms for the hydroxylation of nicotinic acid and 6-hydroxynicotinic acid. J Bacteriol. 1971 Nov;108(2):757–759. doi: 10.1128/jb.108.2.757-759.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hirschberg R., Ensign J. C. Oxidation of nicotinic acid by a Bacillus species: source of oxygen atoms for the hydroxylation of nicotinic acid and 6-hydroxynicotinic acid. J Bacteriol. 1971 Nov;108(2):757–759. doi: 10.1128/jb.108.2.757-759.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hopper D. J., Chapman P. J., Dagley S. Enzymic formation of D-malate. Biochem J. 1968 Dec;110(4):798–800. doi: 10.1042/bj1100798. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Hopper D. J., Chapman P. J. Gentisic acid and its 3- and 4-methyl-substituted homologoues as intermediates in the bacterial degradation of m-cresol, 3,5-xylenol and 2,5-xylenol. Biochem J. 1971 Mar;122(1):19–28. doi: 10.1042/bj1220019. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Johnson B. F., Stanier R. Y. Dissimilation of aromatic compounds by Alcaligenes eutrophus. J Bacteriol. 1971 Aug;107(2):468–475. doi: 10.1128/jb.107.2.468-475.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. LACK L. The enzymic oxidation of gentisic acid. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1959 Jul;34:117–123. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(59)90239-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Leung P. T., Chapman P. J., Dagley S. Purification and properties of 4-hydroxy-2-ketopimelate aldolase from Acinetobacter. J Bacteriol. 1974 Oct;120(1):168–172. doi: 10.1128/jb.120.1.168-172.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Ornston L. N., Stanier R. Y. The conversion of catechol and protocatechuate to beta-ketoadipate by Pseudomonas putida. J Biol Chem. 1966 Aug 25;241(16):3776–3786. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Prasad C., Srinivasan V. R. Tryptophan catabolism during sporulation in Bacillus cereus. Biochem J. 1970 Sep;119(2):343–349. doi: 10.1042/bj1190343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. STANIER R. Y., INGRAHAM J. L. Protocatechuic acid oxidase. J Biol Chem. 1954 Oct;210(2):799–808. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Sala-Trepat J. M., Evans W. C. The meta cleavage of catechol by Azotobacter species. 4-Oxalocrotonate pathway. Eur J Biochem. 1971 Jun 11;20(3):400–413. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1971.tb01406.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Spokes J. R., Walker N. Chlorophenol and chlorobenzoic acid co-metabolism by different genera of soil bacteria. Arch Mikrobiol. 1974 Mar 4;96(2):125–134. doi: 10.1007/BF00590169. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Stanier R. Y., Ornston L. N. The beta-ketoadipate pathway. Adv Microb Physiol. 1973;9(0):89–151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Wallnöfer P., Engelhardt G. [The degradation of phenylamides by Bacillus sphaericus]. Arch Mikrobiol. 1971;80(4):315–323. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Willetts A. J., Cain R. B. Microbial metabolism of alkylbenzene sulphonates. Bacterial metabolism of undecylbenzene-p-sulphonate and dodecylbenzene-p-sulphonate. Biochem J. 1972 Sep;129(2):389–402. doi: 10.1042/bj1290389. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Willetts A. J. Microbial metabolism of alkylbenzene sulphonates. The oxidation of key aromatic compounds by a Bacillus. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1974;40(4):547–559. doi: 10.1007/BF00403819. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES