Yields of bacterial cells from hydrocarbons.
A strain of Nocardia and one of Pseudomonas, both isolated on pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane), gave cell yields of approximately 100% on n-octadecane and pristane. Both organisms grew more rapidly on the n-octadecane than on the pristane. A mixed culture, isolated on 3-methylheptane, whose two components were identified as species of Pseudomonas and of Nocardia, gave approximately 100% cell yields and grew with generation times of about 5 hr on n-heptane, n-octane, and 2-methylheptane. The generation time on 3-methylheptane was 8.6 hr and the cell yield was only 79%. A strain of Pseudomonas isolated from naphthalene enrichments and one from phenanthrene enrichments both gave a cell yield of 50% on naphthalene. The phenanthrene isolate gave a cell yield of 40% on phenanthrene. A Nocardia species isolated on benzene gave a 79% cell yield on benzene. The generation times of the bacteria isolated on aromatic hydrocarbons were related to the solubility of the aromatic hydrocarbons on which they were grown; the more insoluble hydrocarbons gave slower growth.
D001554:Benzene / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000378:metabolism; D009615:Nocardia / Q000254:growth & development*; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000378:metabolism; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000254:growth & development*
D003470:Culture Media; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D009281:Naphthalenes; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D001554:Benzene