抄録
Oxidation of m-HBA by the eleven bacterial strains which were able to metabolize this compound as a sole source of carbon was carried out. The cultural broths were examined by paperchromatography for detection of intermediates.
Gentisic acid was identified in the culture filtrate of the five strains, while protocatechuic acid by the remaining six strains. Protocatechuic acid was not detected in all the cultural broth of bacteria which belong to the gentisic acid path type, and vice versa.
Strains which possess the gentisic acid path were Pseudomonas ovalis (two strains), Micrococcus ureae, and an unidentified Bacterium and a strain of Aerobacter. Strains which have the proto-catechuic acid path were Pseudomonas dacunhae (five strains) and Pseudomonas cruciviae.
An unknown keto acid was detected as its 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazone from the incubation mixture of the resting cell of Pseudomonas ovalis S-5 and gentisic acid. This new keto acid was most probably the direct intermediate after the cleavage of gentisic acid.
Acknowledgement The authors wish to express their sincere thanks to Prof. Emeritus K. Sakaguchi for his continous guidance throughout this work.
