THE MICROBIAL METABOLISM OF CINNAMIC ACID

Abstract

A strain of Pseudomonas isolated from soil with cinnamic acid as a sole carbon source was found to be simultaneously adapted to the utilization of cinnamic acid and phenylpropionic acid. During growth on either of these compounds, o-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid and 2,3-dihydroxyphenylpropionic-acid were produced in the culture medium. The organism, when grown on either cinnamic-acid or phenylpropionic-acid, was adapted to the utilization of m-hydroxy-phenylpropionic-acid and 2,3-dihydroxyphenylpropionic-acid, but not to the utilization of o-hydroxyphenylpropionic-acid. According to the principle of sequential induction introduced by Stanier, the initial steps in the metabolism of cinnamic-acid appear to involve the intermediates phenylpropionic-acid, m-hydroxyphenylpropionic-acid, and 2,3-dihydr-oxyphenylpropionic-acid.