Conversion of propionate to acetate and methane by syntrophic consortia

The anaerobic degradation of propionate to acetate and methane by a defined syntrophic sulphide generating bacterial co-culture, consisting of Syntrophobacter wolinii and Desulphovibrio G11 and new isolated thermophilic methanogenic consortium T13, was investigated. Propionate conversion involved the combined reactions between acetate producing non methanogenic bacteria and aceticlastic and hydrogen oxidizing methanogenic bacteria. Tracer experiments with carbon-14 propionate confirmed the biochemical pathway for anaerobic degradation involving the transcarboxylation of propionate to methylmalonyl-Co A, and formation of the symmetrical product succinate.