Evidence for β-Oxidation in the Metabolism of Saturated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons by Soil Species of Nocardia

Abstract

MEMBERS of the genus Nocardia can use certain long-chain saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons (C₁₀–C₁₈) as sole carbon and energy source¹, but very little information is available about the mechanism by which these compounds are broken down by microorganisms². In the present work the breakdown of 1-phenyldodecane, 1-phenyldecane, 1-phenyloctadecane, 3-phenyleicosane and 1-(α-naphthyl)hendecane by N. opaca (strain T₁₆) and Nocardia spp. (strain P₂) has been shown to give substituted fatty acids. The shorter-chain ethyl, n-propyl and n-butyl benzenes were not attacked. In the following the methods, detailed by Webley, Duff and Farmer³ were used.