Abstract
Methanogenesis from ethanol was studied in batch cocultures of a proton-reducing acetogenic Desulfovibrio sp. together with one of eight methanogenic bacteria representing five genera. A mathematical model of mutualistic cocultures predicts an equalisation in the specific growth rates of the two species which defines a specific growth rate for the coculture. At non-limiting ethanol concentrations the model predicts that the specific growth rate of the coculture is dependent upon the K s (H2) of the methanogen and its maximum specific growth rate in axenic culture when utilising H2 as the energy source. We demonstrate experimentally that with methanogens known to have similar K s (H2) values, the specific growth rates of methanogenic mutualistic cocultures are dependent upon the maximum specific growth rates of the methanogens.
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Archer, D.B., Powell, G.E. Dependence of the specific growth rate of methanogenic mutualistic cocultures on the methanogen. Arch. Microbiol. 141, 133–137 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00423273
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00423273