Construction of a Type-I Metanotroph with Reduced Capacity for Glycogen and Sucrose Accumulation

Mutant strains of the halotolerant type-I methanotroph Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z with an inactivated sps gene, which encodes sucrose phosphate synthase, and the deletion of a gene cluster for the synthesis and degradation of glycogen were obtained. Blockage of the synthesis of sucrose and glycogen increased the protein content in cells but slightly reduced the growth rate of the methanotroph grown on methane. It is shown that relatively stable methanotroph growth is possible without synthesis of the storage carbon compounds.