Biodegradation of sulphosuccinate: direct desulphonation of a secondary sulphonate

Abstract

The bacterial biodegradation of a secondary sulphonate, sulphosuccinate, has been shown to occur by direct desulphonation. A bacterium, designated Pseudomonas sp. BSI, was isolated from activated sewage sludge, for its capacity to grow on sulphosuccinate as the sole source of carbon and energy. Cultures grown on sulphosuccinate were able to convert this substrate to sulphite which was subsequently oxidized rapidly to sulphate. The sequence of desulphonation and carbon-chain catabolism of sulphosuccinate was determined from measurements of the kinetics of sulphite and 14C0, release from specifically radiolabelled sulpho[l,4-14C]succinate and sulpho[2,3-1 4 C ]~~~~i n a t e , which were synthesized from the corresponding maleic anhydrides. When each radiolabelled compound was incubated separately with washed-cell suspensions of Pseudomonas BSI, sulphite was released before 14C02, as shown by chemical assay and radiorespirometry, respectively. Differences in the kinetics and extent of 14C02 release from the I,& and 2,3-labelled substrates were consistent with entry of the intact C4 chain into the citric acid cycle. When carrier oxaloacetate was added to incubation mixtures containing resting-cell suspensions and radiolabelled sulphosuccinate, a radiolabelled metabolite with the same HPLC retention time as oxaloacetate accumulated. No radioactive metabolites accumulated when carrier oxaloacetate was replaced with succinate, f umarate or malate. Collectively, the data indicated co-production of sulphite and oxaloacetate from sulphosuccinate, which is interpreted in terms of an oxidative desulphonation mechanism.

Bacillus subtilis genes for the utilization of sulfur from aliphatic sulfonates

“…For the desulfonation of sulfosuccinate, which is not a sulfur source for B. subtilis, sulfite and oxaloacetate were the products (Quick et al, 1994). In E. coli, sulfonate-sulfur could be assimilated for growth by any mutant that was deficient in the reduction from sulfate to sulfite, but not by mutants deficient in sulfite reductase (Uria-Nickelsen et al, 1994).…”

Glycolytic Breakdown of Sulfoquinovose in Bacteria: a Missing Link in the Sulfur Cycle

“…strain ABR2 also liberated sulfate from sulfoquinovose but did so via unknown intermediates. Degradation of other primary (23,44) and secondary (31) aliphatic sulfonates occurs by oxygen insertion at the sulfonated carbon to yield structures equivalent to sulfite adducts of carbonyl groups from which sulfite dissociates spontaneously. Such reactions would convert sulfopropandiol and sulfolactate to glyceraldehyde and glycerate, respectively, both of which are readily assimilable and unlikely to be detected.…”

Bifurcated Degradative Pathway of 3-Sulfolactate in Roseovarius nubinhibens ISM via Sulfoacetaldehyde Acetyltransferase and ( S )-Cysteate Sulfolyase

“…Pathways from (i) sulfoquinovose yield, e.g., sulfoacetate or sulfolactate and 2,3-dihydroxy-1-sulfopropane (36,44), (ii) taurocholate and N-acetyltaurine yield taurine (37,43), and (iii) N-methyltaurine yield sulfoacetaldehyde (52). The five desulfonation reactions are two oxygenolyses for the C 1 and C 4 sulfonates (30,39), phosphatolysis of sulfoacetaldehyde by sulfoacetaldehyde acetyltransferase (Xsc) (EC 2. 3.3.15) (8,45), dehydratase-like elimination of sulfite from sulfolactate (sulfolactate sulfo-lyase SuyAB) (EC 4.4.…”