Summary
A gaseous hydrocarbon-assimilating microorganism, Nocardia corallina, grew on 1-alkenes (C3, C4 and C13 to C18) and produced corresponding 1,2-epoxyalkanes. One of the products, 1,2-epoxytetradecane, had a positive rotation [α] 20D =+8.6°. The concentration of propyleneoxide reached 0.6 g/l after 5 days of cultivation. Accumulation of 1,2-epoxytetradecane continued till the end of cultivation when the pH was not controlled, though production stopped in a 24 h cultivation when the pH was controlled at an optimum pH for growth. Propylene-grown cells produced 1,2-epoxytetradecane from 1-tetradecene and degraded tetradecane. In the presence of chloramphenicol, propylene-grown cells did not degraded tetradecane though 1,2-epoxytetradecane was produced from 1-tetradecene. A spontaneous mutant, which neither grew on propylene nor produced propyleneoxide, was isolated. This strain grew on tetradecane and 1-tetradecene but produced only a trace amount of 1,2-epoxytetradecane from 1-tetradecene.
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Furuhashi, K., Taoka, A., Uchida, S. et al. Production of 1,2-epoxyalkanes from 1-alkenes by Nocardia corallina B-276. European J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 12, 39–45 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00508117
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00508117