Degradation of pyrene at low defined oxygen concentrations by a Mycobacterium sp.

In a fermentor, a Mycobacterium sp. was grown on pyrene at defined oxygen concentrations in a range from 11.4 to 227 microM. The maximal growth rate (mumax = 0.057 h-1) and the dissolved oxygen half-saturation constant (KDO = 5.9 microM) were calculated. At 3.4 microM, the growth rate (mu = 0.011 h-1) was only half of what was expected from the kinetic data. Apparently, this was due to limitation of an oxygenase of pyrene degradation.