Abstract
Two fungi were isolated from soil which grew on 0.1_??_0.2% formaldehyde as the sole carbon source, and identified as Gliocladium deliquescens and Paecilomyces varioti. Both the strains could grow on 5% methanol and 5% Na-formate, while the former could grow even on 7% methanol. Metabolic pathways were traced through two dimensional paper chromatography and autoradiographic techniques using 14C-formaldehyde, 14C-methanol or 14C-CO2 as substrates.
The intracellular metabolites were persued and their quantitative variation with time was measured. Along with the fact that serine and malate appeared in the earlier time, then appeared organic acids and amino acids belonging to TCA cycle, and the fact that hydroxy-pyruvate reductase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities were much stronger in methanol culture than in ethanol culture, it was concluded that the two fungi followed the serine pathway in assimilating C1-compounds. Oxidation enzymes of methanol and formaldehyde were also studied, and an oxidizing system was found besides usual NAD linked methanol or formaldehyde dehydrogenases.
