Showing papers on "Methanogen published in 1979"

Anaerobic bacterium that degrades fatty acids in syntrophic association with methanogens

Abstract: A new species of anaerobic bacterium that degrades the even-numbered carbon fatty acids, butyrate, caproate and caprylate, to acetate and H2 and the odd-numbered carbon fatty acids, valerate and heptanoate, to acetate, propionate and H2 was obtained in coculture with either an H2-utilizing methanogen or H2-utilizing desulfovibrio. The organism could be grown only in syntrophic association with the H2-utilizer and no other energy sources or combination of electron donor and acceptors were utilized. It was a Gram-negative helical rod with 2 to 8 flagella, about 20 nm in diameter, inserted in a linear fashion about 130 nm or more apart along the concave side of the cell. It grew with a generation time of 84 h in co-culture with Methanospirillum hungatii and was present in numbers of at least 4.5×10-6 per g of anaerobic digestor sludge.

Complete degradation of carbohydrate to carbon dioxide and methane by syntrophic cultures of Acetobacterium woodii and Methanosarcina barkeri

Abstract: Methanosarcina barkeri (strain MS) grew and converted acetate to CO2 and methane after an adaption period of 20 days. Growth and metabolism were rapid with gas production being comparable to that of cells grown on H2 and CO2. After an intermediary growth cycle under a H2 and CO2 atmosphere acetateadapted cells were capable of growth on acetate with formation of methane and CO2. When acetate-adapted Methanosarcina barkeri was co-cultered with Acetobacterium woodii on fructose or glucose as substrate, a complete conversion of the carbohydrate to gases (CO2 and CH4) was observed.