Microbial Transformation of Manool and (12Z)-Labda-8(17), 12, 14-triene by Rhodococcus erythropolis JTS-131

Abstract

Rhodococcus erythropolis JTS-131, a cis-abienol and sclareol transformable bacterium, converted manool and accumulated manoyl oxide in the culture broth. In the presence of metabolic inhibitors, 13β-hydroxylabda-8(17), 14-dien-18-oic acid and its methylester (a new compound) were accumulated as the transformation products. This strain also transformed (12Z)-labda-8(17), 12, 14-triene and accumulated (12Z)-labda-8(17), 12, 14-trien-18-al in the culture broth. In the presence of metabolic inhibitors, two compounds, (12Z)-labda-8(17), 12, 14-trien-18-ol and 4, 18, 19-trinor-3, 4-seco-5-oxo-(12Z)-labda-8(17), 12, 14-trien-3-oic acid were accumulated. Based on the experiments on the degradation sequence, transformation pathways for these two labdanes by the bacterium are proposed.