Abstract

Disclosed are newly discovered and isolated methylotrophic microorganism strains and their natural and/or artificial mutants which grow well under aerobic conditions in a culture medium in the presence of methane as the major carbon and energy source. The methane-grown microbial cells possess a high content of protein and can be utilized as such as feedstuffs. The methane-grown microbial cells or enzyme preparations thereof are also useful in converting C1 -C6 alkanes to alcohols, particularly methane to methanol, C3 -C6 alkanes to the corresponding C3 -C6 sec. alcohols and methyl ketones, C3 -C6 sec. alcohols to the corresponding methyl ketones, cyclic hydrocarbons to cyclic hydrocarbyl alcohols (e.g., cyclohexane to cyclohexanol) C2 -C4 alkenes selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, butene-1 and butadiene to 1,2-epoxides, styrene to styrene oxide, and converting other oxidizable substrates to oxidized products. The newly discovered and isolated methylotrophic microorganism strains may be aerobically grown on a plurality of methyl-radical donating carbon-containing compounds, such as methanol, methylamine, methyl formate, methyl carbonate, dimethyl ether, etc., to produce microbial cells or enzyme preparations capable of aerobically converting C3 -C6 linear secondary alcohols to the corresponding methyl ketones.

Other References

• Colby et al., "The Soluble Methane Monooxygenase of Methylococcus Capsulatus", Biochem. J., vol. 165, (1977), pp. 395-402
• Nesterov et al., "Activity of Methane Oxidizing Bacterium in the absorbed state", Chemical Abstracts, vol. 84 (1976), Abstract No. 27940c
• Thomson et al., "Acetone Production by Methylobacterium", Chemical Abstracts, vol. 85 (1976), Abstract No. 156225t