Growth yields of methanotrophs |
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Authors: | David J Leak Howard Dalton |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL Coventry, UK;(2) Present address: Centre for Biotechnology, Imperial College of Science and Technology, SW7 2AZ London, UK |
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Abstract: | Summary The growth yield ofMethylococcus capsulatus (Bath) on methane was dependent on the availability of copper in the growth medium. In nitrate mineral salts medium the carbon
conversion efficiency increased by 38%, concomitant with the transition from soluble to particulate methane monooxygenase,
after transfer from low to high copper medium. An increase in growth efficiency was also observed with ammonia as nitrogen
source but not when methanol replaced methane as carbon source. The high growth efficiency is attributed to a reduced NADH
requirement for methane oxidation. This could only arise if methanol dehydrogenase was capable of electron transfer, either
directly or indirectly to the particulate methane monooxygenase (MMO).
The carbon conversion efficiency from methanol with nitrate as nitrogen source was as high as theoretically predicted. It
is suggested that the previously low yields of methanotrophs grown on methanol resulted from the use, as nitrogen source,
of ammonia which was oxidised by the MMO still present under these growth conditions.
The term ‘methanotroph’ is used throughout to distinguish those organisms capable of growth on methane from ‘methylotrophs’
capable of growth on reduced C, compounds other than methane |
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