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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 April; 39(4): 727-733

Microbial Oxidation of Gaseous Hydrocarbons: Production of Methylketones from Corresponding n-Alkanes by Methane-Utilizing Bacteria

Ramesh N. Patel, C. T. Hou, A. I. Laskin, A. Felix and P. Derelanko

Corporate Research Laboratory, Exxon Research & Engineering Co., Linden, New Jersey 07036

ABSTRACT

Cell suspensions of methane-utilizing bacteria grown on methane oxidized n-alkanes (propane, butane, pentane, hexane) to their corresponding methylketones (acetone, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, 2-hexanone). The product methylketones accumulated extracellularly. The rate of production of methylketones varied with the organism used for oxidation; however, the average rate of acetone, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, and 2-hexanone production was 1.2, 1.0, 0.15, and 0.025 µmol/h per 5.0 mg of protein in cell suspensions. Primary alcohols and aldehydes were also detected in low amounts as products of n-alkane (propane and butane) oxidation, but were rapidly metabolized further by cell suspensions. The optimal conditions for in vivo methylketone formation from n-alkanes were compared in Methylococcus capsulatus (Texas strain), Methylosinus sp. (CRL-15), and Methylobacterium sp. (CRL-26). The rate of acetone and 2-butanone production was linear for the first 60 min of incubation and directly increased with cell concentration up to 10 mg of protein per ml for all three cultures tested. The optimal temperatures for the production of acetone and 2-butanone were 35°C for Methylosinus trichosporium sp. (CRL-15) and Methylobacterium sp. (CRL-26) and 40°C for Methylcoccus capsulatus (Texas). Metal-chelating agents inhibited the production of methylketones, suggesting the involvement of a metal-containing enzymatic system in the oxidation of n-alkanes to the corresponding methylketones. The soluble crude extracts derived from methane-utilizing bacteria contained an oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent dehydrogenase which catalyzed the oxidation of secondary alcohols.

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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 April; 39(4): 727-733

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Haber, C. L., Allen, L. N., Zhao, S., Hanson, R. S. (1983). Methylotrophic Bacteria: Biochemical Diversity and Genetics. Science 221: 1147-1153 [Abstract]