ARS | Publication request: BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY OF DIEPOXY BICYCLIC FATTY ACIDS FROM LINOLEIC ACID BY CLAVIBACTER SP ALA2

Submitted to: Society of Industrial Microbiology Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: August 2, 2001
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Oxygenated metabolites of unsaturated fatty acids play a variety of important roles in biological systems. Previously, Hou et al. reported the production of 12,12,17-trihydroxy-9(Z)-octadecenoic acid (THOA) from linoleic acid by Clavibacter sp. ALA2. In addition to THOA, strain ALA2 also produces epoxy cyclic and bicyclic unsaturated fatty acids such as 12:17; 13:17-diepoxy-9-octadecenoic acid (DEOA), and 7-hydroxy-DEOA. In this presentation, we investigated the biosynthetic pathway of these diepoxy bicyclic unsaturated fatty acids from THOA. Pure THOA was added as a substrate to the actively growing as well as resting cell suspensions of strain ALA2, and the conversion was monitored by gas chromatography. We found that THOA was converted to DEOA, and the conversion was completed in 24 hours. Further incubation of the reaction mixture resulted in the formation of 7-hydroxy-DEOA. Therefore, the biosynthetic pathway for the production of diepoxy bicyclic unsaturated fatty acids from THOA is as follows: Linoleic acid to THOA to DEOA to 7-hydroxy-DEOA.