Arthrobacter sp. strain NO-18 was first isolated from soil as a bacter
ium which could degrade the sodium acrylate oligomer and utilize it as
the sole source of carbon. When 0.2% (wt/wt) oligomer was added to th
e culture medium, the acrylate oligomer was found to be degraded by 70
to 80% in 2 weeks, using gel permeation chromatography. To determine
the maximum molecular weight for biodegradation, the degradation test
was done with the hexamer, heptamer, and octamer, which were separated
from the oligomer mixture by fractional gel permeation chromatography
. The hexamer and heptamer were consumed to the extents of 58 and 36%,
respectively, in 2 weeks, but the octamer was not degraded. Oligomers
with three different terminal groups were synthesized to examine the
effect of the different terminal groups on biodegradation, but few dif
ferences were found. Arthrobacter sp. NO-18 assimilated acrylic acid,
propionic acid, glutaric acid, 2-methylglutaric acid, and 1,3,5-pentan
etricarboxylic acid. Degradation of the acrylic unit structure by this
strain is discussed.