Oxidative decarboxylation of para-hydroxybenzoic acids by peroxidases under in vivo and in vitro conditions.

Oxidative decarbyxylation of p-hydroxybenzoic acids in plant cell suspension cultures is catalyzed by peroxidases. This reaction has been characterized in vivo and in vitro. Decarboxylation of substituted benzoic acids yields monomeric, dimeric and oligomeric benzoquinones. All peroxidases obtained from soybean (Glycine max) cell suspension cultures by gel electrophoresis are equally capable to decarboxylate p-hydroxygenzoic acids as indicated by their rather low differences in specific activity for various benzoic acids.