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. 1988 Jan;54(1):204–211. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.1.204-211.1988

Characterization of Clostridium thermocellum JW20

Doris Freier 1,†, Cheryle P Mothershed 1, Juergen Wiegel 1,*
PMCID: PMC202422  PMID: 16347527

Abstract

Clostridium thermocellum JW20 (ATCC 31549), which was isolated from a Louisiana cotton bale, grew on cellulose, cellobiose, and xylooligomers and, after adaptation, on glucose, fructose, and xylose in the pH range of 7.5 to 6.1 with Topt of 60°C, Tmax of 69°C, and Tmin of above 28°C. Doubling times during growth on cellulose and cellobiose were 6.5 and 2.5 h, respectively. The G+C content of the DNA was 40 mol% (chemical analysis). Growth on cellulose as substrate was totally inhibited in the presence of more than 125 mM sodium sulfate, 300 mM sodium chloride, 250 mM potassium chloride, 200 mM calcium chloride, 125 mM magnesium chloride, 40 mM lactate, or 250 mM acetate. The ratio of the fermentation products ethanol to acetate plus H2 decreased when the culture was agitated. Agitation otherwise increased the rate of cellulose degradation in a growing culture but not under nongrowth conditions or with cell-free culture supernatant containing the extracellular cellulase. Shaking lowered the concentration of H2 in the culture broth and thus minimized inhibition by the H2 formed. Externally added H2 caused an increased formation of ethanol during growth on cellulose or cellobiose. However, at an atmospheric pressure as high as 355 kPa (50 lb/in2), H2 did not cause significant growth inhibition beyond an increasing lag phase (up to 24 h). Several criteria to specifically prove the purity of C. thermocellum cultures were suggested.

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Selected References

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