유일한 탄소 및 에어지원으로 메탄올만을 이용하여 성장하는 새로운 절대 메탄올 자화세균을 토양으로 부터 분리하였다. 분리균주는 그람음성의 운동성이 없고 포자를 형성하지 않는 간균으로 정대호기성 세균이었다. 이 균주는 catalase 활성과 oxidase 활성을 가지고 있으며, nitrate를 nitrite로 환원시킬 수 있고 성장시 vitamin이나 특이한 생육인자를 요구하지 않았다. 세대시간은 1.6시간으로 메탄올 동화경로로는 ribulose monophosphate pathway(Entner-Doudoroff 변형경로)를 이용하나 α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase 활성은 없었다. Ammonium ion은 glutamate dehydrogenase를 이용하여 동화하였다. DNA의 guanine plus cytosine 함량은 61.0 mol%이고 세포내 지방산으로는 누고 straight-chain saturated C$^{16:0}$ acids(palmitie acids)와 unsaturated C$^{16:1}$ acids(palmitoleic acids)를 가지고 있으나 이외에도 두 종류의 unidentified C$_{17}$ branched fatty acid도 포함하고 있었다. Major ubiquinone은 Q-8이나 Q-6와 Q-7을 특이하게 소량 가지고 있었다. Phospatidylethanolamine과 Phosphatidylglycerol이 주요한 phospholip의 구성물질이나 diphosphatidylgycerol도 소량 포함하고 있었다. 위와같은 생리적, 생화학적 자료로 부터 분리균주를 새로은 종 즉, Methylohacillus methanolovorus sp. nov.로 명명하였다.
A new methyltrophic bacterium which utilizes methanol as a sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from soil. It was Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonspore-forming rod, and strictly aerobic bacterium. Catalase and oxidase activities were present. Nitrate was reduced to nitrite. Vitamins and other growth factors were not required. Generation time was 1.6 hr under the optimal condition. The isolate assimilated methanol via the ribulose mono-phosphate pathway (Enter-Doudoroff varient) and did not have .alpha.-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. It assimilated ammonia through glutamate dehydrogenase. The guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA was 61.0 mol%. The celular fatty acid composition was primarily straight-chain saturated $C^{16 : 0}$ acids (palmitic acids) and unsaturated $C_{16 :1}$ acid (palmitoleic acids), and the isolate also contained two unidentified $C_{17}$ branched fatty acids. The major ubiquinone was Q-8, and Q-6 and Q-7 were present as minor components. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol were predominantly present, and diphosphatidyglycerol was also detected. Based on the physiological and biochemical properties, the isolate was assigned to a novel species of the genus Methylobacillus, Methylobacillus methanolovorus sp. nov.
