@article{mbs:/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-51-3-457, author = "Hankin, L. and Kolattukudy, P. E.", title = "Metabolism of a Plant Wax Paraffin (n-Nonacosane) by a Soil Bacterium (Micrococcus cerificans)", journal= "Microbiology", year = "1968", volume = "51", number = "3", pages = "457-463", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-51-3-457", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-51-3-457", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2080", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "SUMMARY: Long-chain paraffins, such as nonacosane, reach the soil from plants and are degraded by micro-organisms. The ability of one soil organism, Micro-coccus cerificans, to grow on cabbage paraffin (n-nonacosane) was studied. Unlike the pattern seen with hexadecane, waxy esters were not produced when nonacosane was the sole carbon source, but esters were formed when a co-oxidation technique of [14C] n-nonacosane with hexadecane was employed. The alcohol and acid portions of the radioactive esters formed were primarily of chain length C16 C17 and C18; neither nonacosanol nor nonacosanoic acid were detected. Thus the nonacosanol and nonacosanoic acid which might have been produced from n-nonacosane must have been oxidized to shorter-chain compounds which in turn were incorporated into waxy esters as well as other lipids.", }