Bacterial degradation of emulsan.

Emulsan is a polyanionic heteropolysaccharide bioemulsifier produced by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1. A mixed bacterial population was obtained by enrichment culture that was capable of degrading emulsan and using it as a carbon source. From this mixed culture, an emulsan-degrading bacterium, termed YUV-1, was isolated. Strain YUV-1 is an aerobic, gram-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium which grows best in media containing yeast extract. When placed on preformed lawns of A. calcoaceticus RAG-1, strain YUV-1 produced translucent plaques which grew in size until the entire plate was covered. Plaque formation was due to solubilization of the emulsan capsule of RAG-1. Plaque formation was not observed on emulsan-negative mutants of RAG-1. As a consequence of the solubilization of the emulsan capsule, RAG-1 cells became more hydrophobic, as determined by adherence to hexadecane. Growth of YUV-1 on a medium containing yeast extract and emulsan was biphasic. During the initial 24 h, cell concentration increased 10-fold, but emulsan was not degraded; during the lag in growth (24 to 48 h), emulsan was inactivated and depolymerized but not consumed; during the second growth phase (48 to 70 h) the depolymerized emulsan products were consumed.