Growth and enzymological characteristics of a pink-pigmented facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium sp. MB1

Growth characteristics of batch and continuous cultures of the pink facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium sp. MB1 were determined. The response of a chemostat culture to a pulse increase of methanol concentration was studied. Malate, succinate and oxaloacetate additions to the methanol-supplemented medium decreased batch culture growth inhibition by methanol. The carotenoid content in cells grown in a chemostat decreased with increasing growth rate. The key enzyme activities of C1-metabolism were measured in a chemostat culture at different dilution rates.