Microbial oxidation of hydrocarbons and related compounds by whole-cell suspensions of the methane-oxidizing bacterium H-2

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6800849

Imai, T; Takigawa, H; Nakagawa, S; Shen, G J; Kodama, T; Minoda, Y

Previously, a thermophilic obligate methane-oxidizing bacterium, H-2 (type I), was isolated in their laboratory. H-2 is a new type of methylotroph because of the G + C content of DNA; it uses both the ribulose monophosphate pathway and the serine pathway for carbon assimilation and possesses a new quinone. In addition, it was found that resting cell suspensions of H-2 had the ability to oxidize a variety of compounds different from the other methane-oxidizing bacteria as follows. (i) C/sub 1/ to C/sub 8/ n-alkanes are hydroxylated and further oxidized, yielding mixtures of the corresponding alcohols, aldehydes, acids, and ketones. Liquid alkanes are transformed through a different oxidative pathway from that of gaseous ones. (ii) Both gaseous (C/sub 2/ to C/sub 4/) and liquid (C/sub 5/, C/sub 6/) n-alkenes are oxidized to their corresponding 1,2-epoxides. (iii) Liquid monochloro and dichloro n-alkanes (C/sub 5/, C/sub 6/) are oxidized, yielding their corresponding acids or haloacids. (iv) Diethyl ether is oxidized to acetic acid; no ethanol and acetaldehyde are detected. (v) Cyclic and aromatic compounds are also oxidized. (vi) Secondary alcohols (C/sub 3/ to C/sub 10/) are oxidized to their corresponding methyl ketones.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Tokyo, Japan
• OSTI ID: 6800849
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States) Vol. 52:6; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550500* -- Metabolism
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALCOHOLS
ALKANES
ALKENES
AROMATICS
BACTERIA
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BIOLOGY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ETHERS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
METHANE
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
TAXONOMY