Microbial metabolism of pyridinium compounds. Radioisotope studies of the metabolic fat of 4-carboxy-1-methylpyridinium chloride.

Extracts of Achromobacter D formed CO(2), methylamine, succinate and formate as metabolic end-products from N-methylisonicotinic acid (4-carboxy-1-methylpyridinium chloride). The origin of the CO(2) in the 4-carboxyl group and of the methylamine in the N-methyl group of N-methylisonicotinate was demonstrated with carboxyl-(14)C- and N-Me-(14)C-labelled substrates respectively. The carbon skeletons of formate and succinate were shown to arise from the C-2 and the C-3-C-6 atoms of the heterocyclic ring respectively by using N-methyl[2,3-(14)C(2)]isonicotinate. This result is consistent with ring cleavage by the organism between C-2 and C-3.