The Hydroxyquinol Degradation Pathway in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 and <i>Agrobacterium</i> Species Is an Alternative Pathway for Degradation of Protocatechuic Acid and Lignin Fragments
Edward Spence, Heather T. Scott, Louison Dumond, Leonides Calvo-Bado, Sabrina di Monaco, James J. Williamson, Gabriela Félix Persinoti, Fábio M. Squina, Timothy D. H. Bugg
Abstract
There is a well-established paradigm for degradation of protocatechuic acid via the β-ketoadipate pathway in a range of soil bacteria. In this study, we have found the existence of a second pathway for degradation of protocatechuic acid in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, via hydroxyquinol (benzene-1,2,4-triol), which establishes a metabolic link between protocatechuic acid and hydroxyquinol. The presence of this pathway in a lignin-degrading Agrobacterium sp. strain suggests the involvement of the hydroxyquinol pathway in the metabolism of degraded lignin fragments.
Topics & Concepts
Protocatechuic acidRhodococcusDegradation (telecommunications)AgrobacteriumLigninBiodegradationChemistryBiologyMicrobiologyMetabolic pathwayBotanyBiochemistryEcologyTransformation (genetics)MetabolismGeneEnzymeTelecommunicationsComputer scienceAntioxidantBiofuel production and bioconversionMicrobial bioremediation and biosurfactantsMicrobial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction