A Possible Alternative Mechanism for the Oxidation of Formaldehyde to Formate

A survey of the occurrence of a number of enzymes possibly involved in the C1 dissimilatory pathway in organisms using the serine pathway of carbon assimilation indicated that neither the methanol dehydrogenase nor the NH4 +-independent dye-linked formaldehyde dehydrogenase had a specific role in the oxidation of formaldehyde. Conversely, the activities of enzymes involved in the methenyl-THF pathway were shown to be induced during growth on methanol or methylamine, suggesting a potential dissimilatory role for this pathway.