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. 1983 Apr;45(4):1411–1414. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.4.1411-1414.1983

Pathways of Propionate Degradation by Enriched Methanogenic Cultures

Markus Koch 1,†, Jan Dolfing 1,‡, Karl Wuhrmann 1, Alexander J B Zehnder 1,‡
PMCID: PMC242473  PMID: 16346281

Abstract

A mixed methanogenic culture was highly enriched in a growth medium containing propionate as the sole organic carbon and energy source. With this culture, the pathways of propionate degradation were studied by use of 14C-radiotracers. Propionate was first metabolized to acetate, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen by nonmethanogenic organisms. Formate was not excreted. The carbon dioxide originated exclusively from the carboxyl group of propionate, whereas both [2-14C]- and [3-14C]propionate lead to the production of radioactive acetate. The methyl and carboxyl groups of the acetate produced were equally labeled, regardless of whether [2-14C]- or [3-14C]propionate was used. These observations suggest that in the culture, propionate was degraded through a randomizing pathway.

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Selected References

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

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