Membrane modulation in a methylotrophic bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus (Texas) as a function of growth substrate.

Methylococcus capsulatus (Texas), when grown on methane, undergoes with age a progressive degeneration of internal membrane structure with a simultaneous accumulation of intracellular inclusions. When M. capsulatus is grown on methanol, virtually no internal membranes are present but, instead, cells contain many intracellular droplets morphologically similar to inclusions in old methane-grown cells. Membranes are regenerated by the cells when a methanol-grown culture is transferred back to methane. The oxidative ability of methane- and methanol-grown cells was compared.