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Abstract
A micro-organism which grows on cyclohexane as sole carbon and energy source has been isolated from estuarine mud flats. It has been tentatively identified as a Nocardia. The organism, which is auxotrophic for biotin, grows on cyclohexane (supplied as a vapour) with a mean generation time of about 10 h and a Y SUB of 59·9 g dry wt (mol cyclohexane)−1. Growth on cyclohexane leads to the production of intracytoplasmic membrane structures which are not present after growth on succinate. Growth, respiration and enzyme studies are consistent with the degradation of cyclohexane via cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, caprolactone and ε-hydroxycaproate. Extracts of organisms grown on cyclohexane contained cyclohexanol dehydrogenase, cyclohexanone monooxygenase and ε-caprolactone hydrolase; these enzymes are absent from, or at very low activity in, extracts of organisms grown on succinate.
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