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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #76433

Title: MICROBIAL PRODUCTION OF A NOVEL TRIHYDROXY UNSATURATED FATTY ACID FROM LINOLEIC ACID

Author
item Hou, Ching
item Brown, Wanda
item Labeda, David
item Abbott Dr, Thomas
item Weisleder, David

Submitted to: Journal of Industrial Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/12/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Surplus vegetable oils represent attractive renewable resources for the production of useful chemicals. We are investigating microbial conversion of vegetable oils and their component fatty acids to value-added products. A newly isolated microbial strain converted unsaturated fatty acids to value added oxygen containing product. The product is potentially useful as antifungal agent against such as rice blast disease causing fungus.

Technical Abstract: A microbial culture isolated from a dry soil sample collected from McCalla, AL, converted linoleic acid to a novel compound, 12,13,17 trihydroxy 9(Z) octadecenoic acid (THOA). The culture is a Gram (+), non-motile rod (0.5 um x 2 um). It was identified as Clavibacter sp. ALA2 by the Biolog automated bacterial identification system. The product was purified by high pressure liquid chromatography and its structure was determined by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, and mass spectroscopy. Maximum production of THOA was reached after 5-6 days of reaction. THOA was not further metabolized by strain ALA2. This is the first report on 12,13,17 trihydroxy unsaturated fatty acid and its production by microbial transformation. Some dihydroxy intermediates were also detected. Other conditions for maximum production of THOA are: pH 7.0 and temperature 30C. The yield was 25%. THOA has a structure simillar to those of known plant self defense substances.