Characterization of a methane-utilizing bacterium from a bacterial consortium that rapidly degrades trichloroethylene and chloroform.

A mixed culture of bacteria grown in a bioreactor with methane as a carbon and energy source rapidly oxidized trichloroethylene and chloroform. The most abundant organism was a crescent-shaped bacterium that bound the fluorescent oligonucleotide signature probes that specifically hybridize to serine pathway methylotrophs. The 5S rRNA from this bacterium was found to be 93.5% homologous to the Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b 5S RNA sequence. A type II methanotrophic bacterium, isolated in pure culture from the bioreactor, synthesized soluble methane monooxygenase during growth in a copper-limited medium and was also capable of rapid trichloroethylene oxidation. The bacterium contained the gene that encodes the soluble methane monooxygenase B component on an AseI restriction fragment identical in size to a restriction fragment present in AseI digests of DNA from bacteria in the mixed culture. The sequence of the 16S rRNA from the pure culture was found to be 92 and 94% homologous to the 16S rRNAs of M. trichosporium OB3b and M. sporium, respectively. Both the pure and mixed cultures oxidized naphthalene to naphthol, indicating the presence of soluble methane monooxygenase. The mixed culture also synthesized soluble methane monooxygenase, as evidenced by the presence of proteins that cross-reacted with antibodies prepared against purified soluble methane monooxygenase components from M. trichosporium OB3b on Western blots (immunoblots). It was concluded that a type II methanotrophic bacterium phylogenetically related to Methylosinus species synthesizes soluble methane monooxygenase and is responsible for trichloroethylene oxidation in the bioreactor.     

Characterization of a methane-utilizing bacterium from a bacterial consortium that rapidly degrades trichloroethylene and chloroform.

A mixed culture of bacteria grown in a bioreactor with methane as a carbon and energy source rapidly oxidized trichloroethylene and chloroform. The most abundant organism was a crescent-shaped bacterium that bound the fluorescent oligonucleotide signature probes that specifically hybridize to serine pathway methylotrophs. The 5S rRNA from this bacterium was found to be 93.5% homologous to the Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b 5S RNA sequence. A type II methanotrophic bacterium, isolated in pure culture from the bioreactor, synthesized soluble methane monooxygenase during growth in a copper-limited medium and was also capable of rapid trichloroethylene oxidation. The bacterium contained the gene that encodes the soluble methane monooxygenase B component on an AseI restriction fragment identical in size to a restriction fragment present in AseI digests of DNA from bacteria in the mixed culture. The sequence of the 16S rRNA from the pure culture was found to be 92 and 94% homologous to the 16S rRNAs of M. trichosporium OB3b and M. sporium, respectively. Both the pure and mixed cultures oxidized naphthalene to naphthol, indicating the presence of soluble methane monooxygenase. The mixed culture also synthesized soluble methane monooxygenase, as evidenced by the presence of proteins that cross-reacted with antibodies prepared against purified soluble methane monooxygenase components from M. trichosporium OB3b on Western blots (immunoblots). It was concluded that a type II methanotrophic bacterium phylogenetically related to Methylosinus species synthesizes soluble methane monooxygenase and is responsible for trichloroethylene oxidation in the bioreactor.     

Dichloromethane and trichloroethylene inhibition of methane oxidation by the membrane-associated methane monooxygenase of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

Whole-cell assays were used to measure the effect of dichloromethane and trichloroethylene on methane oxidation by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b synthesizing the membrane-associated or particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO). For M. trichosporium OB3b grown with 20 μM copper, no inhibition of methane oxidation was observed in the presence of either dichloromethane or trichloroethylene. If 20 mM formate was added to the reaction vials, however, methane oxidation rates increased and inhibition of methane oxidation was observed in the presence of dichloromethane and trichloroethylene. In the presence of formate, dichloromethane acted as a competitive inhibitor, while trichloroethylene acted as a noncompetitive inhibitor. The finding of noncompetitive inhibition by trichloroethylene was further examined by measuring the inhibition constants K _iE and K _iES. These constants suggest that trichloroethylene competes with methane at some sites, although it can bind to others if methane is already bound. Whole-cell oxygen uptake experiments for active and acetylene-treated cells also showed that provision of formate could stimulate both methane and trichloroethylene oxidation and that trichloroethylene did not affect formate dehydrogenase activity. The finding that different chlorinated hydrocarbons caused different inhibition patterns can be explained by either multiple substrate binding sites existing in pMMO or multiple forms of pMMO with different activities. The whole-cell analysis performed here cannot distinguish between these models, and further work should be done on obtaining active preparations of the purified pMMO. Received: 3 November 1998 / Accepted: 1 March 1999     

Biodegradation of trichloroethylene by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b.

The methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, a type II methanotroph, degraded trichloroethylene at rates exceeding 1.2 mmol/h per g (dry weight) following the appearance of soluble methane monooxygenase in continuous and batch cultures. Cells capable oxidizing trichloroethylene contained components of soluble methane monooxygenase as demonstrated by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis with antibodies prepared against the purified enzyme. Growth of cultures in a medium containing 0.25 microM or less copper sulfate caused derepression of the synthesis of soluble methane monooxygenase. In these cultures, the specific rates of methane and methanol oxidation did not change during growth, while trichloroethylene oxidation increased with the appearance of soluble methane monooxygenase. M. trichosporium OB3b cells that contained soluble methane monooxygenase also degraded vinyl chloride, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene.     

Trichloroethylene oxidation by purified toluene 2-monooxygenase: products, kinetics, and turnover-dependent inactivation.

Trichloroethylene is oxidized by several types of nonspecific bacterial oxygenases. Toluene 2-monooxygenase from Burkholderia cepacia G4 is implicated in trichloroethylene oxidation and is uniquely suggested to be resistant to turnover-dependent inactivation in vivo. In this work, the oxidation of trichloroethylene was studied with purified toluene 2-monooxygenase. All three purified toluene 2-monooxygenase protein components and NADH were required to reconstitute full trichloroethylene oxidation activity in vitro. The apparent Km and Vmax were 12 microM and 37 nmol per min per mg of hydroxylase component, respectively. Ten percent of the full activity was obtained when the small-molecular-weight enzyme component was omitted. The stable oxidation products, accounting for 84% of the trichloroethylene oxidized, were carbon monoxide, formic acid, glyoxylic acid, and covalently modified oxygenase proteins that constituted 12% of the reacted [14C]trichloroethylene. The stable oxidation products may all derive from the unstable intermediate trichloroethylene epoxide that was trapped by reaction with 4-(p-nitrobenzyl)pyridine. Chloral hydrate and dichloroacetic acid were not detected. This finding differs from that with soluble methane monooxygenase and cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase, which produce chloral hydrate. Trichloroethylene-dependent inactivation of toluene 2-monooxygenase activity was observed. All of the protein components were covalently modified during the oxidation of trichloroethylene. The addition of cysteine to reaction mixtures partially protected the enzyme system against inactivation, most notably protecting the NADH-oxidoreductase component. This suggested the participation of diffusible intermediates in the inactivation of the oxidoreductase.     

Biodegradation of trichloroethylene by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

The methanotroph Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, a type II methanotroph, degraded trichloroethylene at rates exceeding 1.2 mmol/h per g (dry weight) following the appearance of soluble methane monooxygenase in continuous and batch cultures. Cells capable oxidizing trichloroethylene contained components of soluble methane monooxygenase as demonstrated by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis with antibodies prepared against the purified enzyme. Growth of cultures in a medium containing 0.25 microM or less copper sulfate caused derepression of the synthesis of soluble methane monooxygenase. In these cultures, the specific rates of methane and methanol oxidation did not change during growth, while trichloroethylene oxidation increased with the appearance of soluble methane monooxygenase. M. trichosporium OB3b cells that contained soluble methane monooxygenase also degraded vinyl chloride, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene.     

Influence of the Endogenous Storage Lipid Poly-beta-Hydroxybutyrate on the Reducing Power Availability during Cometabolism of Trichloroethylene and Naphthalene by Resting Methanotrophic Mixed Cultures

The role of the storage lipid poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in trichloroethylene transformation by methanotrophic mixed cultures was investigated. Naphthalene oxidation rates were used to assay for soluble methane monooxygenase activity. The PHB content of methanotrophic cells grown in reactors varied diurnally as well as from day to day. A positive correlation between the amount of PHB in the cells and the naphthalene oxidation rate as well as between PHB and the trichloroethylene transformation rate and capacity was found. Addition of beta-hydroxybutyrate increased the naphthalene oxidation rates significantly. PHB content in cells could be manipulated by incubation at different methane-to-nitrogen ratios. A positive correlation between the naphthalene oxidation rate and the PHB content after these incubations could be seen. Both the PHB content and the naphthalene oxidation rates decreased with time in resting methanotrophic cells exposed to oxygen. However, this decrease in the naphthalene oxidation rate cannot be explained by the decrease in the PHB content alone. Probably a deactivation of the methane monooxygenase itself is also involved.     

Influence of the Endogenous Storage Lipid Poly-β-Hydroxybutyrate on the Reducing Power Availability during Cometabolism of Trichloroethylene and Naphthalene by Resting Methanotrophic Mixed Cultures

The role of the storage lipid poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in trichloroethylene transformation by methanotrophic mixed cultures was investigated. Naphthalene oxidation rates were used to assay for soluble methane monooxygenase activity. The PHB content of methanotrophic cells grown in reactors varied diurnally as well as from day to day. A positive correlation between the amount of PHB in the cells and the naphthalene oxidation rate as well as between PHB and the trichloroethylene transformation rate and capacity was found. Addition of β-hydroxybutyrate increased the naphthalene oxidation rates significantly. PHB content in cells could be manipulated by incubation at different methane-to-nitrogen ratios. A positive correlation between the naphthalene oxidation rate and the PHB content after these incubations could be seen. Both the PHB content and the naphthalene oxidation rates decreased with time in resting methanotrophic cells exposed to oxygen. However, this decrease in the naphthalene oxidation rate cannot be explained by the decrease in the PHB content alone. Probably a deactivation of the methane monooxygenase itself is also involved.     

Optimization of trichloroethylene oxidation by methanotrophs and the use of a colorimetric assay to detect soluble methane monooxygenase activity

Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b biosynthesizes a broad specificity soluble methane monooxygenase that rapidly oxidizes trichloroethylene (TCE). The selective expression of the soluble methane monooxygenase was followed in vivo by a rapid colorimetric assay. Naphthalene was oxidized by purified soluble methane monooxygenase or by cells grown in copper-deficient media to a mixture of 1-naphthol and 2-naphthol. The naphthols were detected by reaction with tetrazotized o-dianisidine to form purple diazo dyes with large molar absorptivities. The rate of color formation with the rapid assay correlated with the velocity of TCE oxidation that was determined by gas chromatography. Both assays were used to optimize conditions for TCE oxidation by M. trichosporium OB3b and to test several methanotrophic bacteria for the ability to oxidize TCE and naphthalene.Abbreviations A₆₀₀ absorbance due to cell density measured at 600 nm - HPLC high pressure liquid chromatography - NADH reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - sMMO soluble methane monooxygenase - TCE trichloroethylene     

A rapid fluorescence-based assay for detecting soluble methane monooxygenase

A fluorescence-based assay was developed to estimate soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) activity in solution. Whole cells of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b expressing sMMO were used to oxidize various compounds to screen for fluorescent products. Of the 12 compounds tested, only coumarin yielded a fluorescent product. The UV absorbance spectrum of the product matches that of 7-hydroxycoumarin, and this identification was confirmed by 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The dependence of the fluorescent reaction on sMMO activity was investigated by pre-incubation with acetylene, a known inhibitor of sMMO activity. Apparent kinetic parameters for whole cells were determined to be Km(app)=262 microM and Vmax(app)=821 nmol 7-hydroxycoumarin min(-1) mg protein(-1). The rate of coumarin oxidation by sMMO correlates well with those of trichloroethylene degradation and naphthalene oxidation. Advantages of the fluorescence-based coumarin oxidation assay over the naphthalene oxidation assay include a more stable product, direct detection of the product without additional reagents, and greater speed and convenience.     

Effect of mineral media on trichloroethylene oxidation by aquifer methanotrophs

The effect of growth in different mineral media on subsequent oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE) by type I and type II aquifer methanotrophs was evaluated. Mixed culture MM1, containing a type II methanotroph, and a type I pure culture tentatively identified as aMethylomonas sp., were enriched and isolated from an uncontaminated groundwater aquifer. The second-order rate coefficients (k/K_s) for TCE oxidation by these cultures varied by more than an order of magnitude when the cultures were grown in different mineral media. The presence of a chelator (NaEDTA) in one of these media, termed Whittenbury, significantly enhanced rates of TCE oxidation by all the cultures tested. When pregrown in this mineral medium, the resting cells of the pure cultureMethylomonas sp. MM2 exhibited second-order TCE oxidation rates as great as 0.78 liter/mg·day, whereas when pregrown in Whittenbury lacking the chelator, the rates did not exceed 0.018 liter/mg·day. The rate of TCE oxidation byMethylomonas sp. MM2 pregrown in another mineral medium formulation, devoid of chelators (termed Fogel), was intermediate in value (0.26 liter/mg·day), and adding EDTA to this medium did not affect the rate. Adding 1.6 μM copper to both Whittenbury and Fogel mineral media reduced the TCE oxidation rates about an order of magnitude; subsequent addition of 84 μM EDTA partially alleviated this effect. The maximal rate coefficients (k) for TCE oxidation byMethylomonas sp. MM2 were significantly higher, and the half saturation coefficients (K_s) for TCE significantly lower, following growth in the presence of EDTA. Stationary phase TCE oxidation rates as great as 2.3 liter/mg·day were achieved whenMethylomonas sp. MM2, grown in Whittenbury medium was provided formate as a source of reducing power. Omitting EDTA from Whittenbury medium also significantly reduced the methane oxidation rate and the growth yield. Copper addition did not significantly affect the methane oxidation rate or growth yield. The internal membrane structures ofMethylomonas sp. MM2 evaluated by transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of internal membranes, the ultrastructure of which was the same regardless of growth medium or TCE oxidation rate. The methane monooxygenase responsible for TCE oxidation inMethylomonas sp. MM2 under the conditions of this study appears to be associated with the particulate fraction.     

Kinetics of chlorinated hydrocarbon degradation by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b and toxicity of trichloroethylene.

The kinetics of the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) and seven other chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b were studied. All experiments were performed with cells grown under copper stress and thus expressing soluble methane monooxygenase. Compounds that were readily degraded included chloroform, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, and TCE, with Vmax values of 550, 330, and 290 nmol min-1 mg of cells-1, respectively. 1,1-Dichloroethylene was a very poor substrate. TCE was found to be toxic for the cells, and this phenomenon was studied in detail. Addition of activated carbon decreased the acute toxicity of high levels of TCE by adsorption, and slow desorption enabled the cells to partially degrade TCE. TCE was also toxic by inactivating the cells during its conversion. The degree of inactivation was proportional to the amount of TCE degraded; maximum degradation occurred at a concentration of 2 mumol of TCE mg of cells-1. During conversion of [14C]TCE, various proteins became radiolabeled, including the alpha-subunit of the hydroxylase component of soluble methane monooxygenase. This indicated that TCE-mediated inactivation of cells was caused by nonspecific covalent binding of degradation products to cellular proteins.     

Ultrastructure of intracytoplasmic membranes of Methanomonas margaritae cells grown under different conditions

The development of intracytoplasmic membranes of Methanomonas margaritae cells grown under different culture conditions was studied. Growth on methane was strongly accelerated by the addition of copper ions. Acceleration by copper, however, was not observed in the case of growth on methanol. Cells grown on methane with copper possessed intracytoplasmic membranes along the cell periphery. When the organism was grown in a medium lacking copper, intracytoplasmic membranes appeared as large vesicles surrounded by a unit membrane at the periphery of the cell. The vesicles originated from paired membranes due to the absence of copper in the medium. Cells grown on methanol with or without copper possessed a number of vesicles of different sizes arranged in a chain along the cell periphery. The possible relationship between membrane arrangement and methane oxidation is discussed.     

Evaluation of Toxic Effects of Aeration and Trichloroethylene Oxidation on Methanotrophic Bacteria Grown with Different Nitrogen Sources

In this study we evaluated specific and nonspecific toxic effects of aeration and trichloroethylene (TCE) oxidation on methanotrophic bacteria grown with different nitrogen sources (nitrate, ammonia, and molecular nitrogen). The specific toxic effects, exerted directly on soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO), were evaluated by comparing changes in methane uptake rates and naphthalene oxidation rates following aeration and/or TCE oxidation. Nonspecific toxic effects, defined as general cellular damage, were examined by using a combination of epifluorescent cellular stains to measure viable cell numbers based on respiratory activity and measuring formate oxidation activities following aeration and TCE transformation. Our results suggest that aeration damages predominantly sMMO rather than other general cellular components, whereas TCE oxidation exerts a broad range of toxic effects that damage both specific and nonspecific cellular functions. TCE oxidation caused sMMO-catalyzed activity and respiratory activity to decrease linearly with the amount of substrate degraded. Severe TCE oxidation toxicity resulted in total cessation of the methane, naphthalene, and formate oxidation activities and a 95% decrease in the respiratory activity of methanotrophs. The failure of cells to recover even after 7 days of incubation with methane suggests that cellular recovery following severe TCE product toxicity is not always possible. Our evidence suggests that generation of greater amounts of sMMO per cell due to nitrogen fixation may be responsible for enhanced TCE oxidation activities of nitrogen-fixing methanotrophs rather than enzymatic protection mechanisms associated with the nitrogenase enzymes.     

Phenotypic characterization of copper-resistant mutants of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b.

Cultures of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b grown in the presence of very low concentrations of copper synthesize a soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) that efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of trichloroethylene and other organic pollutants. Recently, we isolated five M. trichosporium OB3b mutants that express sMMO activity when grown in the presence of elevated copper concentrations (P.A. Phelps, S. K. Agarwal, G. E. Speitel, Jr., and G. Georgiou, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 58:3701-3708, 1992). Here we show that, in contrast to the results for the wild-type cells, the addition of copper to mutant cultures grown on methane and nitrate as the nitrogen source has no noticeable effect on the growth rate and sMMO expression. In vitro experiments indicated that the copper-resistant phenotype does not arise from an increased stability of sMMO to copper deactivation. Furthermore, the mutant cultures exhibit altered speciation of copper in the extracellular fluid and have substantially decreased levels of cell-associated copper. On the basis of these results, we propose that the mutant phenotype arises from defects in copper uptake and metabolism rather than from changes in sMMO expression or enzyme stability.     

Inhibition of trichloroethylene oxidation by the transformation intermediate carbon monoxide.

Inhibition of trichloroethylene (TCE) oxidation by the transformation intermediate carbon monoxide (CO) was evaluated with the aquifer methanotroph Methylomonas sp. strain MM2. CO was a TCE transformation intermediate. During TCE oxidation, approximately 9 mol% of the TCE was transformed to CO. CO was oxidized by Methylomonas sp. strain MM2, and when formate was provided as an electron donor, the CO oxidation rate doubled. The rate of CO oxidation without formate was 4.6 liter mg (dry weight)-1 day-1, and the rate with formate was 10.2 liter mg (dry weight)-1 day-1. CO inhibited TCE oxidation, both by exerting a demand for reductant and through competitive inhibition. The Ki for CO inhibition of TCE oxidation, 4.2 microM, was much less than the Ki for methane inhibition of TCE oxidation, 116 microM. CO also inhibited methane oxidation, and the degree of inhibition increased with increasing CO concentration. When CO was present, formate amendment was necessary for methane oxidation to occur and both substrates were simultaneously oxidized. CO at a concentration greater than that used in the inhibition studies was not toxic to Methylomonas sp. strain MM2.     

Kinetics of chlorinated hydrocarbon degradation by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b and toxicity of trichloroethylene

The kinetics of the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) and seven other chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b were studied. All experiments were performed with cells grown under copper stress and thus expressing soluble methane monooxygenase. Compounds that were readily degraded included chloroform, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, and TCE, with Vmax values of 550, 330, and 290 nmol min-1 mg of cells-1, respectively. 1,1-Dichloroethylene was a very poor substrate. TCE was found to be toxic for the cells, and this phenomenon was studied in detail. Addition of activated carbon decreased the acute toxicity of high levels of TCE by adsorption, and slow desorption enabled the cells to partially degrade TCE. TCE was also toxic by inactivating the cells during its conversion. The degree of inactivation was proportional to the amount of TCE degraded; maximum degradation occurred at a concentration of 2 mumol of TCE mg of cells-1. During conversion of [14C]TCE, various proteins became radiolabeled, including the alpha-subunit of the hydroxylase component of soluble methane monooxygenase. This indicated that TCE-mediated inactivation of cells was caused by nonspecific covalent binding of degradation products to cellular proteins.     

In situ measurement of methane oxidation in groundwater by using natural-gradient tracer tests.

Methane oxidation was measured in an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer (Cape Cod, Mass.) by using in situ natural-gradient tracer tests at both a pristine, oxygenated site and an anoxic, sewage-contaminated site. The tracer sites were equipped with multilevel sampling devices to create target grids of sampling points; the injectate was prepared with groundwater from the tracer site to maintain the same geochemical conditions. Methane oxidation was calculated from breakthrough curves of methane relative to halide and inert gas (hexafluroethane) tracers and was confirmed by the appearance of 13C-enriched carbon dioxide in experiments in which 13C-enriched methane was used as the tracer. A Vmax for methane oxidation could be calculated when the methane concentration was sufficiently high to result in zero-order kinetics throughout the entire transport interval. Methane breakthrough curves could be simulated by modifying a one-dimensional adevection-dispersion transport model to include a Michaelis-Menten-based consumption term for methane oxidation. The Km values for methane oxidation that gave the best match for the breakthrough curve peaks were 6.0 and 9.0 microM for the uncontaminated and contaminated sites, respectively. Natural-gradient tracer tests are a promising approach for assessing microbial processes and for testing in situ bioremediation potential in groundwater systems.     

Energy coupling and respiration in Nitrosomonas europaea.

Intact cells of Nitrosomonas europaea grown in an ammonium salts medium will oxidise ammonium ions, hydroxylamine and ascorbate-TMPD; there is no oxidation of carbon monoxide, methane or methanol. The Km value for ammonia oxidation is highly pH dependent with a minimum value of 0.5 mM above pH 8.0. This suggests that free ammonia is the species crossing the cytoplasmic membrane(s). The measurement of respiration driven proton translocation indicates that there is probably only one proton translocating loop (loop 3) association with hydroxylamine oxidation. The oxidation of "endogenous" substrates is sometimes associated with more than one proton-translocating loop. These results indicate that during growth hydroxylamine oxidation is probably associated with a maximum P/O ratio of 1.     

Kinetics of utilization of organic substrates by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides in a salts solution: a flow-microcalorimetric study

The metabolism of various organic substrates by suspensions of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides in a salts solution was followed by microcalorimetry. Enthalpy changes associated with metabolism were in good agreement with theoretical values. Substrate utilization showed Michaelis kinetics, allowing saturation constants (Km) and maximum specific rates of substrate utilization (Vmax) to be determined. In cells grown on a complex medium containing glucose, Km values were: glucose, fructose, N-acetylglucosamine, glycerol and pyruvate, less than 5 microM; lactate, 20 microM; glucosamine, 130 microns, and mannose, 1 mM. Values of Vmax for glycerol, pyruvate and lactate were similar and approximately twice those for glucose, mannose, glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine; Vmax for fructose was one-quarter of that for glucose. In cells grown on complex medium in which glucose was replaced by mannose, glucosamine or N-acetylglucosamine, Vmax and Km for the respective growth sugars and for glucose were not significantly affected. However, in cells grown in the presence of fructose, Vmax for fructose increased to the value observed for glucose. It is suggested that M. mycoides is adapted to, and is constitutive for, the utilization of a single sugar (glucose), and a single amino sugar (N-acetylglucosamine), but that in the presence of fructose a fructose-utilizing pathway is induced.