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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1984 January; 47(1): 1-6
Copyright © 1984, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Methanogenesis from Sucrose by Defined Immobilized Consortia

W. Jack Jones^*, Jean-Pierre Guyot and Ralph S. Wolfe

Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801

ABSTRACT

A bacterial consortium capable of sucrose degradation primarily to CH₄ and CO₂ was constructed, with acetate as the key methanogenic precursor. In addition, the effect of agar immobilization on the activity of the consortium was determined. The primary fermentative organism, Escherichia coli, produced acetate, formate, H₂, and CO₂ (known substrates for methanogens), as well as ethanol and lactate, compounds that are not substrates for methanogens. Oxidation of the nonmethanogenic substrates, lactate and ethanol, to acetate was mediated by the addition of Acetobacterium woodii and Desulfovibrio vulgaris. The methanogenic stage was accomplished by the addition of the acetophilic methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri and the hydrogenophilic methanogen Methanobacterium formicicum. Results of studies with low substrate concentrations (0.05 to 0.2% [wt/vol]), a growth-limiting medium, and the five-component consortium indicated efficient conversion (40%) of sucrose carbon to CH₄. Significant decreases in yields of CH₄ and rates of CH₄ production were observed if any component of the consortium was omitted. Approximately 70% of the CH₄ generated occurred via acetate. Agar-immobilized cells of the consortium exhibited yields of CH₄ and rates of CH₄ production from sucrose similar to those of nonimmobilized cells. The rate of CH₄ production decreased by 25% when cysteine was omitted from reaction conditions and by 40% when the immobilized consortium was stored for 1 week at 4°C.

^* Corresponding author.

Present address: Laboratoire de Microbiologie, Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre-Mer, Paris, France.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Zeikus, J., Kerby, R, Krzycki, J. (1985). Single-carbon chemistry of acetogenic and methanogenic bacteria. Science 227: 1167-1173 [Abstract]