Abstract
The oxygen-resistant hydrogen bacterium, N34, was cultivated in ajar fermentor continuously fed a gas-mixture of various tension of H2, O2 and CO2. Cell growth with a doubling time of 4hr was achieved with a gas-mixture of 70%H2+20%O2+10%CO2 or 50%H2+40%O2+10%CO2 even from the early stage of culture. The distribution of hydrogenase activity in cells grown under 40% O2 was examined by separating the crude extracts into soluble and particulate fractions, and the hydrogenases seemed to be bound to the membranes. The oxyhydrogen reactions were not particularly stable under high oxygen tension in intact cells, crude extracts and particulate fractions of oxygen-resistant hydrogen bacterium, N34, compared with those of oxygen-sensitive strain.
