• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.344-351
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• 1996

Microorganisms growing alcoholic distillery wastes were isolated from soil. Of them, the selected strain EL-9 had a capability of accumulating poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) when grown in alcoholic distillery wastes. The strain EL-9 was identified as a genus Actinobacillus based on the morphological, cultural, and biochemical characteristics. The strain EL-9 was named temporarily as Actino- bacillus sp. EL-9. The optimal temperature and pH for cell growth of Actinobacillus sp. EL-9 were 30$\circ$C and 7.0, respectively. The optimal medium compositions for cell growth comprised glucose 2%, NH$_{4}$NO$_{3}$ 0.15%, Na$_{2}$HP0$_{4}$-12H$_{2}$O 0.25%, KH$_{2}$PO$_{4}$ 0.25%, MgSO$_{4}$4-7H$_{2}$O 0.15%, FeSO$_{4}$-7H$_{2}$O 0.005%, CaCl$_{2}$-2H$_{2}$O 0.003% and trace element solution 5m/l. To investigate the optimal conditions for PHB production, two-stage culture technique was used. The result showed that the optimal conditions for PHB production are identical those for cell growth. When propionic acid was added as a cosubstrate, PHB/HV copolymer was produced.