Enzymatic oxidation of 14C-Labelled betaine by the marine microbe Achromobacter cholinophagum

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Abstract
When betaine-1-14C was incubated with cell-free extracts from Achromobacter cholinophagum, dimethylglycine was found to be labelled and no radioactivity was present in formaldehyde. When betaine-methyl-14C was used as the substrate, both dimethylglycine and formaldehyde contained radioactivity. The results indicate that the formaldehyde is derived from the methyl carbons of betaine. Betaine demethylation activity was decreased by the fractionation of cell-free extracts with ammonium sulfate, and nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide has been found to restore the activity significantly.