Cultivation of Methylotrophs

Abstract

Methylotrophy is the ability of numerous Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, Actinomycetes, and yeasts to obtain all the energy and carbon required for growth from the metabolism of methyl-compounds which have no carbon- carbon bonds. Numerous media and techniques for the isolation and culture of methylotrophs have been described, and a comprehensive description of these protocols is given, with substrates such as methanol, methylamines, methylated sulfur compounds, and the description of some more complex media. The metabolic and habitat diversity of methylotrophs is outlined, ranging from soil and freshwater organisms, through thermophiles and yeasts, to animal hosts and plant colonizers, including specialized types that induce (and reside in) root nodules in some plant species. The methods for the commercial exploitation of some methylotrophs are outlined. This survey excludes the methanotrophs, growing primarily on gaseous methane, as the cultivation of these is considered elsewhere.