[Survival of dissociants of a hydrocarbon-oxidizing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain during storage].

The survival of R-, S-, and M-dissociants of the hydrocarbon-oxidizing strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa K-2 was compared after the storage of the cultures by four simple methods for 18 months. The best method was storage on slanted synthetic medium with hexadecane under mineral oil; under these conditions, the amount of viable cells of all dissociants showed the smallest decrease, and the composition of the stored populations underwent the least changes. During storage by other methods, the highest survival rate was demonstrated by R-cells, and M-cells were the most sensitive; this difference resulted in changes in the composition of stored populations. In stored populations of S-cells, which are the most active hydrocarbon oxidizers, the relative content of poorly active but more stable R-cells increased, which could result in a decrease in the hydrocarbon-degrading ability of the culture.