[Preparatory metabolism of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in Candida tropicalis]

A technique of experimental adaptation was used to obtain mutants of Candida tropicalis which were able to utilize p-hydroxybenzoic acid as the sole source of carbon and energy. The preparatory metabolism of p-hydroxybenzoic acid involves the following stages: PHBA leads to quinol leads to hydroxyquinol leads to maleylacetic acid leads to beta-ketoadipic acid. The enzyme system which catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation of PHBA mediates also oxidative decarboxylation of protocatechuic, beta-resorcylic and gallic acids, i.e. compounds having a hydroxyl group in para position with respect to the carboxyl of hydroxyl derivatives of benzoic acid. Benzoic, salicyclic and gentisic acids are not substrates of this enzyme system. A technique is proposed for rapid indentification of beta-ketoadipic acid by thin-layer chromatography. The authors believe that methods used to study preparatory metabolism, on the basis of the Stanier theory of "simultaneous adaptation", are not quite reliable and may lead to erroneous conclusions.