Microbial degradation of phenolic amino acids.

Abstract

Abstract Ferroglobus placidus is a hyperthermophilic archaeon from the family Archaeoglobaceae that is able to completely oxidize the phenolic amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine to CO2 under strict anaerobic conditions with ferric iron acting as its sole electron acceptor. The compounds phenylacetate and 4-hydroxyphenylacetate are intermediates formed during the degradation of these amino acids and, as in several anaerobic mesophilic bacteria, the benzoyl-CoA and glutaryl-CoA reductase pathways are involved in the complete degradation process. It has been suggested that the general strategies for the anaerobic degradation of phenolic amino acids are highly conserved among bacteria and archaea living in both mesophilic and hyperthermophilic environments.