Degradation of organic pollutants by methane grown microbial consortia.

Microbial consortia were enriched from various environmental samples with methane as the sole carbon and energy source. Selected consortia that showed a capacity for co-oxidation of naphthalene were screened for their ability to degrade methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE), phthalic acid esters (PAE), benzene, xylene and toluene (BTX). MTBE was not removed within 24 h by any of the consortia examined.

Outer membrane proteins of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath).

Membranes obtained from whole-cell lysates of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) were separated by Triton X-100 extraction. The resulting insoluble fraction was enriched in outer membranes as assessed by electron microscopy and by the content of beta-hydroxy palmitic acid and particulate methane monooxygenase. Major proteins with molecular masses of approximately 27, 40, 46, 59, and 66 kDa were detected by SDS-PAGE of the Triton-X-100-insoluble membranes.

Xylitol formation and reduction equivalent generation during anaerobic xylose conversion with glucose as cosubstrate in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the xyl1 gene.

Glucose was used as a cosubstrate under anaerobic conditions in the conversion of xylose to xylitol by a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing the xyl1 gene. Glucose was metabolized mainly through glycolysis, with carbon dioxide, acetate, and ethanol as end products and with reduction equivalents generated in the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase reactions. At a high glucose supply rate, generation of surplus reduction equivalents resulted in simultaneous ethanol formation.