ADDITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POLYPHOSPHATE-ACCUMULATING ACINETOBACTER STRAIN 210A AND ITS IDENTIFICATION AS ACINETOBACTER-JOHNSONII

Acinetobacter strain 210A, a non-motile, strict aerobic, rod shaped bacterium was isolated from activated sludge in 1980. The strain was unambiguously identified as Acinetobacter johnsonii, using a combination of biochemical and genetic properties. The organism was able to synthesize polyphosphate as well as poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid during growth in batch cultures. Storage of these reserve polymers depended on the amount of phosphate in the growth medium. At excess phosphate, polyphosphate was formed. The amount of phosphate accumulated was about 4 mg P/100 mg dry weight and was unaffected by the 'energy content' of the substrates tested. Poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid was formed when phosphate was the limiting nutrient. Cells grown in media with an initial phosphate concentration of 30 muM contained 13% (w/w) poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid. Intact cells were able to oxidize a variety of monosaccharides in the presence of PQQ. Disaccharides were not oxidized, neither in intact cells nor in cell-free extracts. The strain contained several plasmids.