Growth on methanol of a carboxydobacterium, Acinetobacter sp. strain JC1 DSM 3803

Acinetobacter sp. strain JC1 DSM 3803, a carboxydobacterium, was found to grow methylotrophically at the expense of methanol and methylamine, but not of methane, formaldehyde, formate, dimethylamine, or trimethylamine, as the sole source of carbon and energy. The doubling times of the bacterium growing on methanol (0.5%, v/v) and methylamine (0.5%, w/v) at 30°C and pH 6.8 were 4.8 h and 5.7 h, respectively. Cells grown on methanol, however, failed to show typical methanol dehydrogenase and oxiclase activities. The cell was found to contain no c-type cytochromes. Cells grown on methanol exhibited higher catalase activity than those grown on pyruvate or glucose. The catalase present in the cells also exhibited peroxidase activity. The catalase activity, growth on methanol of the cell, and oxygen consumption by methanol-grown cells were inhibited strongly by 0.1 mM, 1 mM, and 0.1 mM hydroxylamine, respectively. Formaldehyde dehydrogenase, formaldehyde reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase activities were detected from cells grown on methanol.