Metabolism of Aromatic Amino Acids in Microorganisms

It was found that when Rhodotorula rubra IFO 0911 was grown in a phenylalanine medium, benzoic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid besides cinnamic acid were formed in the cultured both. The conversions of cinnamic acid into benzoic acid and of benzoic acid into p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and the degradation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid were demonstrated in intact cells of Rhodotorula rubra. These activities were observed in the cells grown on various media, including the medium containing no phenylalanine, and were found to be distributed widely in Rhodotorula. The cells of Rhodotorula rubra were also able to degrade p-coumaric acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (protocatechuic acid), p-hydroxyphenyl-acetic acid, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (vanillic acid). From these results, the metabolic pathways for phenylalanine and tyrosine in Rhodotorula were discussed.