Hydration of squalene and oleic acid by Corynebacterium sp. S-401.

Abstract

Corynebacterium sp. S-401 was isolated from soil using squalene as carbon source. Microbiological properties of this bacterium are described. The five metabolic products of this bacterium from squalene were identified as mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, and pentahydrated squalene. The resting cells of the bacterium catalyzed the hydration of oleic acid to give (−)-10R- hydrbxyoctadecanoic acid and further oxidized product, 10-oxooctadecanoic acid, was also isolated from the reaction mixture.