cis-Terpin Hydrate Metabolism by a Brevibacterium: Patterns of Enzyme Induction, and Accumulation of α-Terpineol in Growth Media

A brevibacterium, strain TH-4, previously isolated by aerobic enrichment on the monocyclic monoterpenoid cis-terpin hydrate as a sole carbon and energy source, was found to grow on alpha-terpineol and on a number of common sugars and organic acids. Oxidation of these terpenoids was shown to occur via an induced enzyme system, as measured manometrically by oxygen uptake and prevention of protein synthesis with chloramphenicol or puromycin. Oxidation of terpin hydrate by cell suspensions appeared to be coincidentally induced by growth on alpha-terpineol, and oxidation of alpha-terpineol similarly appeared to be induced by growth on terpin hydrate. Culture fluids in which the TH-4 organism was grown at the expense of cis-terpin hydrate were found to contain (-)-alpha-terpineol in combined butanol-ether extracts. The isolated compound was shown to be chromatographically and spectrophotometrically identical to an authentic sample of alpha-terpineol. The stereospecificity of an enzymatic dehydration of terpin hydrate to alpha-terpineol is considered.