title: Effect of glucose, maltose, soluble starch, and CO2 on the growth of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus.
abstract: The hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus was cultivated in batch and continuous fermentations on different carbon substrates. The cultivation of P furiosus on soluble starch as the only carbon source resulted in cell densities three times higher than in cultivations on maltose, 1.06 x 10(10) cells/ml compared to 3.4 x 10(9) cells/ml. The yield coefficient, Y(x/y) = 0.12 g/g, and the growth rate, mu = 0.33 h(-1), were almost equal on soluble starch and on maltose, but on glucose no growth could be detected. An inhibitory effect of glucose, when added to other carbon substrates, also could not be found. Isobutyric and isovaleric acid were detected as novel metabolites produced by P. furiosus. Inhibitory effects of these acids, as well as of the well-known products acetic acid, propionic acid, and alanine, could be precluded. Concentrations of 10% CO2 in the gas supply respective to the exhaust gas enhanced the growth of P furiosus significantly. The maximum cell number was two orders of magnitude higher than was observed with pure nitrogen. Further increase of the CO2 concentration up to 100% had no significant effect on the growth of P. furiosus.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioprocess and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg, Germany. biller@tu-harburg.de
authors.forename: Kai F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Biller
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Märkl
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005285:Fermentation; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008320:Maltose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020027:Pyrococcus furiosus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D008320:Maltose; D013213:Starch; D005947:Glucose