Abstract
A bacterium, which can utilize cyclohexanol as a sole source of carbon and energy, was isolated from sludge in sewage of Ulsan Industrial Complex for Petrochemicals, Korea and identified as Rhodococcus sp. TK6. The growth conditions of the bacteria were investigated in cyclohexanol containing media. The bacteria utilized cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, cyclohexane-1,2=diol, cyclopentanol, cyclopentanone, and $\varepsilon$-caprolactone but not cyclohexane, cyclohexane-1,2-dione, and cyclooctanone. The bacteria were able to utilize alcohols such as ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-propanol, and 2-butanol as well as cyclohexanol, organic acids such as adipate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, n-caproate, and 6-hydroxycaproate, and aromatic compounds such as phenol, salicylate, p-hydroxbenzoate, and benzoate as a sole source of carbon and energy. Cyclohexanone as a degradation product of cyclohexanol by Rhodococcus sp. TK6 was determined with gas chromatography.