Triethanolamine (TEA) is converted into acetate and ammonia by a strictly anaerobic, gram-positive Acetobacterium strain LuTria3. Fermentation experiments with resting cell suspensions and specifically deuterated substrates indicate that in the acetate molecule the carboxylate and the methyl groups correspond to the alcoholic function and to its adjacent methylene group, respectively, of the 2-hydroxyethyl unit of TEA. A 1,2 shift of a hydrogen (deuterium) atom from CH(2)O to NCH(2) without exchange with the medium was observed. This fact gives evidence that a radical mechanism occurs involving the enzyme and/or coenzyme molecule as a hydrogen carrier. Such a biodegradation appears analogous to the conversion of 2-phenoxyethanol into acetate mediated by another strain of the anaerobic homoacetogenic bacterium Acetobacterium.

Mechanism of anaerobic degradation of triethanolamine by a homoacetogenic bacterium / G. Speranza, C.F. Morelli, P. Cairoli, B. Müller, B. Schink. - In: BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS. - ISSN 0006-291X. - 349:2(2006), pp. 480-484.

Mechanism of anaerobic degradation of triethanolamine by a homoacetogenic bacterium

G. Speranza
Primo
;
C.F. Morelli
Secondo
;
P. Cairoli;
2006

Abstract

Triethanolamine (TEA) is converted into acetate and ammonia by a strictly anaerobic, gram-positive Acetobacterium strain LuTria3. Fermentation experiments with resting cell suspensions and specifically deuterated substrates indicate that in the acetate molecule the carboxylate and the methyl groups correspond to the alcoholic function and to its adjacent methylene group, respectively, of the 2-hydroxyethyl unit of TEA. A 1,2 shift of a hydrogen (deuterium) atom from CH(2)O to NCH(2) without exchange with the medium was observed. This fact gives evidence that a radical mechanism occurs involving the enzyme and/or coenzyme molecule as a hydrogen carrier. Such a biodegradation appears analogous to the conversion of 2-phenoxyethanol into acetate mediated by another strain of the anaerobic homoacetogenic bacterium Acetobacterium.
Anaerobic biodegradation; Diethanolamine; Ethanolamine; Homoacetogenic bacterium; Radical mechanism; Triethanolamine
Settore CHIM/06 - Chimica Organica
2006
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/30054
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 0
  • Scopus 9
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 9
social impact