Role for Emulsan in Growth of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1 on Crude Oil.
When Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1 was grown together with an emulsan-deficient mutant on crude oil, only the emulsan-producing RAG-1 was found to grow, regardless of whether the medium was supplemented with emulsan. The results suggested that the cell-associated form of the bioemulsifier is the biologically active species required for growth on crude oil. A revertant of an emulsan-deficient strain was isolated which simultaneously regained the ability to produce both cell-associated and cell-free emulsan as well as the ability to grow on crude oil.
Pines
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Department of Microbiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
Gutnick
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