Caffeic Acid Metabolism and Caffeyl-Coenzyme A Synthetase in Acetobacterium Woodii

ABSTRACT

Ezgi Sen, Aida Abbasova, Hyun Chong

Caffeic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid-containing acrylic and phenolic functional groups. Caffeic acid is produced in many plants, including oregano, thyme, basil, turmeric, and coffee. Caffeic acid has antimicrobial properties against many antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, making it a promising compound to combat the harmful pathogens that are becoming increasingly resistant to conventional antibiotics. Some bacteria, such as Bacillus licheniformis, have developed metabolic pathways to process caffeic acid into less toxic substances. In Bacillus licheniformis a Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase with double enzyme activity acts as a 4-Vinylcatechol reductase to reduces the caffeic acid derivative 4-Vinylcatechol to 4-Ethylcatechol. In our meta-analysis we produced a phylogenetic tree from the 16s rRNA sequences from lab isolates that can potentially metabolize caffeic acid. It is possible that the isolates are utilizing the metabolic pathways cited from literature that use 4-Vinylcatechol reductase, so we will design a primer and model the key enzyme in a cited metabolic pathway for caffeic acid, 4-Vinylcatechol reductase. A protein comparison and primer BLAST for predicting binding to isolates are also yet to be done.