Benzylsuccinate toluene, anaerobic metabolism

An interesting initial transformation reaction for the anaerobic metabolism of toluene was reported by Evans et al. (1992a) using a denitrifying bacterium. These investigators found benzylsuccinic acid and benzylfumaric acid as metabolic dead-end products of toluene decay. They hypothesized the addition of the four... 

It has been shown that pure cultures of bacteria under anaerobic denitrifying conditions may produce benzylsuccinate as a metabolite of toluene (Evans et al. 1992 Migaud et al. 1996 Beller et al. 1996). Demonstration of this and the corresponding methylbenzyl succinates from xylenes has been used to demonstrate metabolism of toluene and xylene in an anaerobic aquifer (Beller et al. 1995, 2002). 

Verfiirth K, AJ Pierik, C Leutwein, S Zorn, 1 Heider (2004) Substrate specificities and electron paramagnetic resonance properties of benzylsuccinate synthesis in anaerobic toluene and m-xylene metabolism. Arch Microbiol 181 155-162. 

Leuthner B, Leutwein C, Schulz H, Horth P, Haehnel W, SchiltzE, Schafer H, Heider J (1998) Biochemical and genetic characterization of benzylsuccinate synthase from Thauera aromatica a new glycyl radical enzyme catalysing the first step in anaerobic toluene metabolism. Mol Microbiol 28 615-628... 

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