METHANOL-UTILIZING MYCOBACTERIUM STRAINS ISOLATED FROM SOIL

Abstract

Gram-positive facultative methylotrophs were isolated by enrichment cultures with methanol as the sole source of carbon and energy. These bacteria were acid-fast, non-sporeforming, nonmotile rods, and grew on methanol and methylamine, but not on methane. The deoxyribonucleic acid base composition was 66 to 69mol% guanine plus cytosine. The cellular fatty acids consisted of a large amount of straight-chain saturated C_16:0 acid, straight-chain unsaturated C_16:1 and C_18:1 acids, and 10-methyl C_19:0 acid. The major quinone was menaquinone MK-9(H₂). The principal amino acids in the cell wall was meso-diaminopimelic acid. There was a large amount of α-mycolic acid, a small amount of α′- ycolic acid and dihydroxy mycolic acid. The facultative methylotrophs appeared to be included in the genus Mycobacterium.