The degradation of natural polyamines and diamines by bacteria

Abstract

The oxidation of natural polyamines and diamines by bacteria was studied. Out of 20 species tested only Pseudo-monas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens and Corynebacterium pseudo-diphtheriticum were active. P. aeruginosa oxidized spermine, spermi-dine, putrescine, agmatine and cadaverine, S. marcescens oxidized spermidine, putrescine and agmatine, whereas C. pseudodiphtheriticum oxidized putrescine only. Spermine was degraded by P. aeruginosa to spermidine, which was further oxidized to propane-13-diamine, [beta]-alanine and gamma-aminobutyric acid. Propane-l:3-diamine accumulated during the oxidation of spermidine by S. marcescens. Carbonyl reagents inhibited the degradation of the poly- and di-amines. Isonicotinic acid hydrazide and dihydrostreptomycin were less active. Amines which were not oxidized by the bacteria exerted an inhibitory effect on the degradation of the oxidizable amines.