Oxidation of Aromatic Acids by a Facultative Thermophilic Bacillus sp.

Abstract
The novel conversion of p-hydroxybenzoate to gentisate by a facultative thermophilic strain of Bacillus and the subsequent induction, during growth on benzoate and p-hydroxybenzoate, of the enzymes gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.4) and maleylpyruvate hydrolase, which catalyze gentisate dissimilation, are described.