Vanillate Metabolism in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Abstract

Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive soil bacterium belonging to the mycolic acids-containing actinomycetes, is able to use the lignin degradation products ferulate, vanillate, and protocatechuate as sole carbon sources. The gene cluster responsible for vanillate catabolism was identified and characterized. The vanAB genes encoding vanillate demethylase are organized in an operon together with the vanK gene, coding for a transport system most likely responsible for protocatechuate uptake. While gene disruption mutagenesis revealed that vanillate demethylase is indispensable for ferulate and vanillate utilization, a vanK mutation does not lead to a complete growth arrest but to a decreased growth rate on protocatechuate, indicating that one or more additional protocatechuate transporter(s) are present in C. glutamicum.

Genome-wide investigation of aromatic acid transporters in Corynebacterium glutamicum

“…We indeed found that NCgl1301 (PcaK) was responsible for protocatechuate and 4-hydroxybenzoate transport in C. glutamicum. However, our results were significantly different from those of Merkens et al (2005). A similar transporter was identified in P. putida (Nichols & Harwood, 1997); expression of pcaK was repressed by benzoate and preferential degradation of benzoate over 4-hydroxybenzoate was observed (Nichols & Harwood, 1995).…”

“…strain ADP1, in which VanK was reported to be also involved in 4-hydroxybenzoate and protocatechuate transport (D'Argenio et al, 1999). While working on nitrogen metabolism, Merkens et al (2005) reported that vanK mutation in C. glutamicum led to decreased growth on protocatechuate and thus proposed the occurrence of an additional protocatechuate transporter. We indeed found that NCgl1301 (PcaK) was responsible for protocatechuate and 4-hydroxybenzoate transport in C. glutamicum.…”

Microbially-Mediated Transformations of Estuarine Dissolved Organic Matter

“…Side chain oxidation (e.g., Filley et al, 2002), demethylation, or hydroxylation (e.g., Crawford and Crawford, 1980) of compounds present in the initial DOM pool (i.e., at T0) would lead to a reduction in the abundance of those compounds at the end of the incubation and to an increase in the abundance of compounds with slightly lower molecular masses. For example, vanillic acid (∼168 Da) can be converted via demethylation to protocatechuic acid (∼154 Da) (Merkens et al, 2005). In this case, the difference in the mass of the compounds that were consumed and produced is small at 14.0157 Da (-CH 2 ).…”

Involvement of Regulatory Interactions among Global Regulators GlxR, SugR, and RamA in Expression of ramA in Corynebacterium glutamicum

“…Besides, no HPr kinase/phosphatase system is found in the C. glutamicum genome. These differences in the molecular characteristics are likely reflected in the capacity of C. glutamicum to cometabolize glucose and a variety of carbon sources, including sugars, organic acids, and aromatic compounds without catabolite repression (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), expect for a few cases (25)(26)(27).…”