Pathways of Lower Alkaline Oxidation 



465 



alkane as the only carbon and energy source, but does not utilize 

 the branched paraffins nor the aromatic hydrocarbons. 



Intermediary Production of Fatty Acids 



The resting cells of the studied strain actively consume 

 oxygen in the presence of ?i-heptane. Under these conditions the 

 recorded respiratory quotient is not significantly different from 

 the theoretical value for the complete oxidation of the hydrocar- 

 bon into CO2 and HlO. However, the production from n-heptane 

 of small quantities of acidic products was strongly suggested 

 by the fact that bacterial cultures from this substrate have a 

 distinct red tinge due to the natural pigment pyocyanin in its 

 acidic fonn. 



The chemical identification of the acids formed in the 

 cultures has been achieved as follows (9). Five liters of a five 

 to eight days old culture on n-heptane ( 10 g/L) were centrifuged 

 and the supernatant concentrated to 150-200 ml in the presence 















000 p. 

 Q (A) O ^ 



5d 7d 9d C, 



C3 















Fig. 1. Chromatogram of fatty acids accumulated in aerobic cultures on n- 



heptane. 5d, 7d, 9d,: steam distillates of cultures after respectively 5, 7, 



and 9 days of incubation at 32° C; C2 to d: fatty acids standards. 



