Comparative aspects of propionate metabolism.

1. The catabolism of propionate has been studied extensively in vertebrates and the major pathway has been shown to be its derivatization to propionyl-CoA, carboxylation to D-methylmalonyl-CoA, isomerization to L-methylmalonyl-CoA and then conversion to succinyl-CoA via a vitamin B12 dependent methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. 2. By contrast, in all insect species studied to date, many of which do not contain detectable levels of vitamin B12, the major metabolic pathway of propionate is its conversion to 3-hydroxypropionate and then to acetate. Carbon-3 of propionate becomes the carboxyl carbon of acetate and carbon-2 of propionate becomes the methyl carbon of acetate. 3. A number of species of non-insect arthropods and other invertebrates contain relatively high levels of vitamin B12 and catabolize propionate by the same pathway as that of vertebrates. Under anoxic conditions, some invertebrates, including bivalves, convert succinate to propionate. 4. In plants, evidence has been presented for the metabolism of propionate to both acetate and succinate. Micro-organisms possess a myriad of pathways by which they produce and catabolize propionate.