Assimilation of liquid hydrocarbon by microorganisms. I. Mechanism of hydrocarbon uptake.

The uptake mechanism of liquid hydrocarbons of low solubility in water was investigated, using microorganisms with different affinities for liquid hydrocarbon. Microorganisms which could utilize hydrocarbon were much more adherent to hydrocarbon than those which could not. The adhesive force between Candida intermedia IFO 0761 and hydrocarbon was higher than that of Candida tropicalis ATCC 20336, though both could utilize hydrocarbon; The total hydrocarbon uptake from the drop and accommodation forms of hydrocarbons was much higher than that from dissolved hydrocarbon. The uptake rate of drop-form hydrocarbon was nearly equal to that of accommodation-form hydrocarbon for C. intermedia, but was lower for C. tropicalis which shows lower adhesion to hydrocarbon.