Description:
Cyclopropanecarboxylate, like other compounds containing cyclopropane ring, is a highly strained aliphatic compound. Cyclopropane rings can be found both in nature (e.g. in pyrethrins and hypoglycins), as well as in some synthetic compounds such as miticides, herbicides, and drugs ([http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14711645|Toraya, 2004]). The bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous can use cyclopropanecarboxylate as its sole source of carbon and energy. Cyclopropanecarboxylate is converted to 3-Hydroxybutyryl-CoA via cyclopropanecarboxyl-CoA. 3-Hydroxybutyryl-CoA is further consumed by the process of oxidative degradation. The cyclopropanecarboxylate ring opening reaction is still being researched and the enzyme for it is yet to be characterized. However [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14711645|Toraya et al., (2004)] have shown that the enzyme acting on cyclopropanecarboxyl-CoA is inducible. Formation of an intermediate crotonyl-CoA is also proposed but no evidence is provided.