Isolation and Characterization of Levoglucosan-Metabolizing Bacteria.

Bacteria were isolated from wastewater and soil containing charred wood remnants based on their ability to use levoglucosan as a sole carbon source and on their levoglucosan dehydrogenase (LGDH) activity. On the basis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences, these bacteria represented the diverse genera , , , and Klebsiella. Genomic sequencing of the isolates verified that two isolates represented novel species, MEC069 and MEC087, while the remaining isolates were closely related to Microbacterium lacusdiani or Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Differential sensitivities of the growth of Escherichia coli to acrylate under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and its effect on product formation.

The effect of acrylate on the growth of Escherichia coli was determined under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in glucose-defined medium. Growth occurred with up to 35 mM acrylate under aerobic conditions but ceased at 5 mM acrylate under anaerobic conditions. This differential sensitivity can be attributed to inhibition of pyruvate formate lyase and/or pflB gene repression, as this enzyme is necessary for anaerobic growth of E.