Utilization of hexamethylenetetramine (urotropine) by bacteria and yeasts

A slow growing bacterial population able to utilize hexamethylelenetetramine (urotropine) as sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy was isolated from soil. From this crude enrichment culture two bacteria were isolated and identified as Brevundimonas diminuta and a Phyllobacterium sp. by sequencing of 16S ribosomal DNA. These bacteria also grew on urotropine but at a lower rate than the enrichment culture. Addition of glucose to the latter resulted in growth of some yeasts that overgrew the bacteria. Assimilation of urotropine as sole nitrogen source is very common among yeasts, 46 out of 60 species tested showed this characteristic.