The growth of various filamentous fungi and yeasts on n-alkanes and ketones. I. Studies on substrate specificity.

Abstract

Ninety-five fungi, hydrocarbon isolates as well as those obtained from various type culture collections, were tested for their ability to grow on liquid mineral media containing n-alkanes as sole source of carbon and energy. Of the 29 filamentous fungi tested, 18 were capable of growing on n-alkanes, which represented 11 of the 14 genera tested. Of the 66 yeasts (16 genera) examined only 11 exhibited this ability, predominantly members of the genera Candida, Rhodotorula (2 strains) and Debaryomyces (1 species). Of the hydrocarbon utilizing filamentous fungi and yeasts examined, almost all were capable of growing on n-alkanes having a chain length of 10 carbon atoms or more. However, only a few of the filamentous fungi and none of the yeasts tested possessed the ability to grow on the short chain n-alkanes. Of the 8 hydrocarbon utilizing yeasts examined, only 5 were capable of growing on a few of the wide variety of ketones tested, particularly on 2-hexanone or 2-heptanone.