BACTERIAL ISOLATES DEGRADING ALIPHATIC POLYCARBONATES

Bacteria that degrade an aliphatic polycarbonate, poly(hexamethylene c arbonate), were isolated from river mater in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan , after enrichment in liquid medium containing poly(hexamethylene carb onate) suspensions as carbon source, and dilution to single cells. Fou r of the strains, 35L, WFF52, 61A and 61B2, degraded poly(hexamethylen e carbonate) on agar plate containing suspended poly(hexamethylene car bonate). Degradation of poly(hexamethylene carbonate) was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography. Besides poly(hexamethylene carbonate), the strains were found to degrade poly(tetramethylene carbonate). The strains were characterized morphologically, physiologically, and by 1 6S rDNA sequence analysis. Strains 35L and WFF52 were tentatively iden tified as Pseudomonas sp. and Variovorax sp., respectively, while stra ins 61A and 61B2 constitute an unidentified branch within the beta sub class of the Proteobacteria. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiol ogical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.