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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1968 March; 16(3): 487-489
Copyright © 1968 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Assimilation of Alkanes and Alkenes by Fungi

Department of Microbiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52240

ABSTRACT

A group of filamentous fungi were assayed for their ability to utilize a series of n-alkanes and 1-alkenes as the sole source of carbon. Although strains of Cunninghamella exhibited profuse growth on most of the hydrocarbons tested, the majority of fungi tested were able to produce definite growth on one or more of the compounds. The hydrocarbons with a 14-carbon chain length appeared to be more consistently utilized than any other. Strains of Aspergillus appeared to differ in their capacity to utilize individual members of the hydrocarbon series. Thin-layer chromatographic analyses of ether extracts from C. blakesleeana grown on n-tetradecane and 1-tetradecene were similar and revealed the presence of a monocarboxylic acid, a primary alcohol, and a secondary alcohol.