Biosynthesis of volatiles by the myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus

Chembiochem. 2004 Jun 7;5(6):778-87. doi: 10.1002/cbic.200300813.

Abstract

The volatiles emitted from cell cultures of myxobacterium Myxococcus xanthus were collected by use of a closed-loop stripping apparatus (CLSA) and analyzed by GC-MS. Two new natural products, (S)-9-methyldecan-3-ol ((S)-1) and 9-methyldecan-3-one (2), were identified and synthesized, together with other aliphatic ketones and alcohols, and terpenes. Biosynthesis of the two main components (S)-1 and 2 was examined in feeding experiments carried out with the wild-type strain DK1622 and two mutant strains JD300 and DK11017, which are impaired in the degradation pathway from leucine to isovaleryl-SCoA. Isovaleryl-SCoA is used as a starter, followed by chain elongation with two malonate units. Subsequent use of methyl malonate and decarboxylation leads to (S)-1 and 2. Furthermore, 3,3-dimethylacrylic acid (DMAA) can be used by the mutant strain to form isovaleryl-SCoA, which corroborates recent data on the detection of a novel variety of the mevalonate pathway giving rise to isovaleryl-SCoA from HMGCoA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrylates / chemistry
  • Acrylates / metabolism
  • Acyl Coenzyme A / chemistry
  • Acyl Coenzyme A / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Decarboxylation
  • Ketones / analysis
  • Ketones / metabolism*
  • Malonates / chemistry
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Mevalonic Acid / chemistry
  • Mevalonic Acid / metabolism
  • Myxococcus xanthus / chemistry
  • Myxococcus xanthus / metabolism*
  • Octanols / analysis
  • Octanols / metabolism
  • Terpenes / analysis
  • Terpenes / metabolism
  • Volatilization

Substances

  • Acrylates
  • Acyl Coenzyme A
  • Ketones
  • Malonates
  • Octanols
  • Terpenes
  • isovaleryl-coenzyme A
  • methyl malonate
  • acrylic acid
  • Mevalonic Acid