International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Vol 51, 2105-2111, Copyright © 2001 by Society for General Microbiology

Metabolism of cinnamic acids by some Clostridiales and emendation of the descriptions of Clostridium aerotolerans, Clostridium celerecrescens and Clostridium xylanolyticum

M Chamkha, JL Garcia and M Labat
Laboratoire de Microbiologie IRD, Unite de Biotechnologie Microbienne Post-Recolte, IFR-BAIM, Universites de Provence et de la Mediterranee, ESIL case 925, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France

The ability of Clostridium aerotolerans DSM 5434(T), Clostridium celerecrescens DSM 5628(T), Clostridium methoxybenzovorans DSM 12182(T), Clostridium stercorarium ATCC 35414(T), Clostridium subterminale DSM 2636, Clostridium termitidis DSM 5398(T), Clostridium thermolacticum DSM 2910(T), Clostridium thermopalmarium DSM 5974(T) and Clostridium xylanolyticum DSM 6555(T) to metabolize cinnamic acid and various derivatives, with or without glucose supplementation, was examined. Only C. aerotolerans DSM 5434(T) and C. xylanolyticum DSM 6555(T), closely related species, transformed cinnamic acid to 3-phenylpropionic acid. Both species also reduced a wide range of cinnamic acid derivatives, including o-, m- and p-coumaric, o-, m- and p-methoxycinnamic, p-methylcinnamic, caffeic, ferulic, isoferulic and 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acids to their corresponding 3-phenylpropionic acid derivatives. C. aerotolerans DSM 5434(T), however, also decarboxylated p-coumaric acid into 4-vinylphenol, which was then reduced to 4-ethylphenol. C. celerecrescens was grouped with C. aerotolerans and C. xylanolyticum in subcluster XIVa of the Clostridiales. C. celerecrescens DSM 5628(T) only metabolized m- and p-methoxycinnamic and p-methylcinnamic acids to their corresponding 3-phenylpropionic acid derivatives, reducing the double bond in the C(3) aliphatic side chain. Addition of glucose markedly increased the yield of the biotransformations by these three species. An emendation of the descriptions of C. aerotolerans, C. celerecrescens and C. xylanolyticum is proposed, based on these observations.

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