In Vitro Studies on Methanogenic Rumen Bacteria

Abstract

Rumen cultures produced methane, from formic and acetic acid at 15 to 45 C., but they fermented butyric acid at 45 C. Those fermenting acetate were inhibited by carbon dioxide, dyes, and penicillin, but the formate fermenters were unMfected. A tureen organism isolated from formate medium was tentatively identified as Methanobacterium formicicum and one from the acetate medium resembled Methanobacterium sohngenii, but differed in cell arrangement. Editor.