Studies on the Production of Amino Acids by Methanol-Utilizing Bacteria

Methanol 자화세균에 의한 아미노산의 생성에 관한 연구

About 600 strains of bacteria which can utilize methanol as the sole source of carbon were isolated from natrual sources, and their ability to produce amino acids on the medium containing methanol as the sole source of carbon was tested by paper chromatography, by which 3 strains were screened by virtue of their relatively shperior amino acid production. These were tentatively identified as follows ; one strain belonged to the genus methylomonas, while the remaining two were members of the genus Hyphomicrobium. Further studies on their growth characteristics were carried out with relation to amino acid production. According to these experiments, the following results were obtained. 1) No vitamin added was effective for the growth enhancement. 2) Optimum initial concnetration of methanol was proved to be one per cent (v/v), and no conspicuous effect of feeding methanol on the growth of these bacteria ould be observed, provide that the initial methanol concentration was controlled to 1 per cent. 3) Among the nitrogen sources tested, 0.1 per cent of ${(NH_4)}_2SO_4$ enabled the best growth. 4) Addition of 0.001 per cent $MgSO_4.$ $7H_2O$ largely increased the growth of all three strains. Other metal ions tested were either not effective or strongly inhibitory for the growth. 5) Addition of 0.1 per cent each of yeast extract, corn steep liquor, beef extract, and peptone also increased the growth markedly. 6) About $75{\mu}$g/ml of alanine could be obtained finally after 64 hr culture of Hypm. A on the medium lcontaining 0.1 per cent yeast extract and 1 percent methanol. Approximately $40.{\mu}$g/ml of glutamic acid by Hypm. GA and $43.{\mu}$g/ml of alanine by Mtlm. A were produced at the same culture conditions.