STUDIES ON THE METABOLISM OF p-AMINOBENZOIC ACID BY MYCOBACTERIUM SMEGMATIS

In previous communicationsMayer (1) described the formation of a yellow pigment when acid-fast bacilli were grown in the presence of paminobenzoic acid (PABA).It was concluded that this pigment is a metabolite of PABA and, although its composition is unknown, the chemical data obtained suggest that it is composed of or contains oxidation products of PABA.Cushing and Reid (2) also noted that a yellow pigment was produced by Neurospora from PABA.Further investigations on this problem have been concerned with the intermediary metabolism of PABA by Mycobacterium smegmatis.It is the purpose of this publication to present data on (a) the formation of aniline from PABA and (b) the oxidation of aniline to p-aminopherol by M. smegmatis.EXPERIMENTAL