title: On the biodegradation of beta-peptides.
abstract: A consortium of microorganisms was established that was able to grow with the beta-tripeptide H-beta-HVal-beta-HAla-beta-HLeu-OH, with the beta-dipeptide H-beta-HAla-beta-HLeu-OH, and with the beta-amino acids H-beta-HAla-OH, H-beta-HVal-OH, and H-beta-HLeu-OH as the sole carbon and energy sources. This growth was achieved after several incubation-transfer cycles with the beta-tripeptide as the substrate. During degradation of the beta-tripeptide H-beta-HVal-beta-HAla-beta-HLeu-OH, the temporary formation of a metabolite was observed. The metabolite was identified as the beta-dipeptide H-beta-HAla-beta-HLeu-OH by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. This result indicates that in the course of the degradation of the beta-tripeptide, the N-terminal beta-HVal residue was cleaved off by a not yet known mechanism. During the subsequent degradation of the beta-dipeptide, formation of additional metabolites could not be detected. The growth-yield coefficients Y(x/s) for growth on the beta-di- and beta-tripeptide both had a value of 0.45. When a 1:1 mixture of the beta-tripeptide and the corresponding alpha-tripeptide H-Val-Ala-Leu-OH was added to the enrichment culture, the alpha-peptide was completely utilized in six days and thereafter growth of the culture stopped. This result indicates that even in beta-peptide enrichment cultures, alpha-peptides are the preferred substrates. Our experiments clearly show for the first time that beta-peptides and beta-amino acids are amenable to biodegradation and that a microbial consortium was able to utilize these compounds as sole carbon and energy sources. Furthermore, the preparation of beta-amino acids, of derivatives thereof, and of beta-di- and beta-tripeptides is described.
authors: Laboratorium für Organische Chemie der Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors: Jürg V
authors: JV
authors: Schreiber
authors: Jens
authors: J
authors: Frackenpohl
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Moser
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Fleischmann
authors: Hans-Peter E
authors: HP
authors: Kohler
authors: Dieter
authors: D
authors: Seebach
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001711:Biotransformation; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009842:Oligopeptides