4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol. A metabolite produced during the biosynthesis of thiamine in Escherichia coli.

4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as a metabolite of Escherichia coli when it is grown on a medium containing no thiamine or 4-methyl-5-beta-hydroxyethyl thiazole. 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol was found to be derived from L-tyrosine and the amount produced was found to be inhibited by the addition of thiamine to the growth medium. The amount of 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol produced, as measured by isotopic dilution, was shown to be equivalent to the amount of thiamine formed. Based on these observations, it was concluded that 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol is the cleavage product produced during the biosynthesis of the thiazole moiety of thiamine from tyrosine.