Enzymatic aryl-O-methyl-/sup 14/C labeling of model lignin monomers
Aryl-O-methyl ethers are abundant in aerobic and anaerobic environments. In particular, lignin is composed of units of this type. Lignin monomers specifically radiolabeled in methoxy, side chain, and ring carbons have been synthesized by chemical procedures and are important in studies of lignin synthesis and degradation, humus formation, and microbial O-demethylation. In this paper attention is drawn to an enzymatic procedure for preparing O-methyl-/sup 14/C-labeled aromatic lignin monomers which has not previously been exploited in microbial ecology and physiology studies and which has several advantages compared with chemical synthesis procedures. O-(methyl-/sup 14/C)vanillic and O-(methyl-/sup 14/C)ferulic acids were prepared with S-(methyl-/sup 14/C)adenosyl-L-methionine as the methyl donor, using commercially obtained porcine liver catechol-O-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.6). The specific activity of the methylated products was the same as that of the methyl donor, a maximum of about 58 ..mu..Ci/..mu..mol, and the yields were 42% (vanillate) and 35% (ferulate). Thus lignin monomers are readily prepared as O-methylated products of the catechol-O-methyltransferase reaction and, with this enzyme method of preparation, would be more widely available than labeled compounds which require chemical synthesis.
- Research Organization:
- New York Univ. Medical Center, NY
- OSTI ID:
- 5126039
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 51:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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