Metabolic characterisation of a novel vanillylmandelate-degrading bacterium

A newly isolated gram-negative bacterium, possibly Brevundimonas diminuta, utilised d,l-vanillylmandelate (d,l-VMA) as a sole carbon and energy source. The organism converted d,l-VMA to vanillylglyoxylate using a soluble NAD-dependent dehydrogenase specific for d-VMA and a dye-linked, membrane-associated l-VMA dehydrogenase. Vanillylglyoxylate was further metabolised by decarboxylation, dehydrogenation and demethylation to protocatechuate. A 4,5-dioxygenase cleaved protocatechuate to 2-hydroxy-4-carboxymuconic semialdehyde. Partially purified d-VMA dehydrogenase exhibited optimal activity at 30° C and pH 9.5 and had an apparent K _m for d-VMA of 470 μM. Although induced by several substituted mandelates, the enzyme had a narrow substrate specificity range with virtually no activity towards d-mandelate. Such properties render the enzyme of potential use in both diagnostic and biosynthetic applications. Received: 23 January 1996 / Accepted: 9 April 1996