Resumen de Anaerobic Degradation of Syringic Acid by an Adapted Strain of Rhodopseudomonas palustris
J. Zachary Oshlag, Yanjun Ma, Kaitlin Morse, Brian T. Burger, Rachelle A. Lemke, Steven D. Karlen, Kevin S. Myers, Timothy J. Donohue, Daniel R. Noguera
Lignin is the most abundant aromatic polymer on Earth and a resource that could eventually substitute for fossil fuels as a source of aromatic compounds for industrial and biotechnological applications. Engineering microorganisms for the production of aromatic-based biochemicals requires detailed knowledge of the metabolic pathways for the degradation of aromatics that are present in lignin. Our isolation and analysis of a Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain capable of syringic acid degradation reveal a previously unknown metabolic route for aromatic degradation in R. palustris. This study highlights several key features of this pathway and sets the stage for a more complete understanding of the microbial metabolic repertoire required to metabolize aromatic compounds from lignin and other renewable sources.
