Respiratory activity of the bacteriumAcinetobacter calcoaceticus TM-31 during assimilation of alkane hydrocarbons

The respiratory activity ofAcinetobacter calcoaceticus TM-31 with resect to alkane hydrocarbons was studied. The dynamics of oxygen consumption by the cells while assimilatingn-hexadecane was assayed by a modified technique using an oxygen electrode. The dependence of cell respiratory activity on the amount ofn-hexadecane within the concentration range of 0.03–0.66% was determined. It was demonstrated that the cells also displayed respiratory activity towards other medium-chainn-alkanes: hexane, octane, decane, tridecane, and heptadecane. Thus, we demonstrated the possibility of determining alkanes by measuring the respiratory activities of microorganisms.