METABOLIC FLUXES DURING THE GROWTH OF THERMOTOLERANT METHYLOTROPHIC BACILLUS STRAINS IN METHANOL-SUFFICIENT CHEMOSTAT CULTURES

Growth of the thermotolerant methylotrophic Bacillus strain TS1 in methanol-limited chemostat culture showed that the substrate was oxidized solely to biomass and CO2. When a pulse of methanol was added to the growth vessel anabolism could be shown to be dissociated from catabolism for a transient period of time. Present data shows that when the organism was grown with a limitation other than carbon, some of the substrate was channelled into metabolite over-production. When the organism was grown under N-limitation 2-oxoglutarate accumulated in the culture medium in small amounts whilst acetate accumulated under all carbon excess conditions. Although the average carbon recovery was 92%, analysis of the culture filtrates for other metabolites failed to show significant amounts of any individual product above those detected in carbon-limited growth comditions. The results are discussed in relation to published data. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.