The biochemical pathway for the breakdown of methyl cyanide (acetonitrile) in bacteria.

[2-14C]Methyl cyanide (acetonitrile) is metabolized to citrate, succinate, fumarate, malate, glutamate, pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid and aspartate. Non-radioactive acetamide and acetate compete with 14C from methyl cyanide, and [2-14C]acetate and [2-14C]methyl cyanide are metabolized at similar rates, giving identical products. This evidence, combined with the inhibitory effect of fluoroacetate and arsenite on methyl cyanide metabolism, indicates that the pathway is: methyl cyanide leads to acetamide leads to acetate leads to tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates. The pathway was investigated in a species of Pseudomonas (group III; N.C.I.B. 10477), but comparison of labelling patterns suggests that it also exists in several higher plants.