Anaerobic degradation of choline. III. Acetaldehyde as an intermediate in the fermentation of choline by extracts of Vibrio cholinicus.

The purpose of the present paper is to present data which demonstrate that acetaldehyde is an intermediate in this over-all reaction, and to describe some of the properties of the dismutation of acetaldehyde catalyzed by estracts of V. cholinicus. It will be shown that the over-all process is dependent on triphosphopyridine nucleotide, glutathione (or a suitable sulfhydryl substitute), ferrous iron, coenzyme A, and adenosine 5’-diphosphate, and that coupled to the dismutation there is a synthesis of adenosine 5’-triphosphate.