Although, the microbial oxidations of hydrocarbons and certain of their derivatives have been well documented ( MCHENNA and KALLIO 1965, IIZUKA and IIDA 1966a, b), little is known of the mechanisms of the oxidative processes. The most important reaction in microbial oxidation of hydrocarbons is a n initial hydroxylation. Nothing definite is known about the initial oxidation. Two main possibilities can be considered : Monoxygenases catalyzing transfer of one oxygen atom into an alkane in the presence of NADH (PETERSON et al. 1967al. , KUSUNOSE et al. 1967) and a-olefine formation from an alkane in the presence of NAD-dependent dehydrogenases (AZOULAY et al. 1963al. , IIZUKA et al. 1967al. , 1968)).
More recently, we have concluded that m-decene-1 formed by the dehydrogenation of a-decane i8 an initial oxidative intermediate in the degradation pathway of a-decane (IIZUKA et al. 1969, IIDA and IIZUKA 1969).
The present study describes the anaerobic formation of n-decyl alcohol from m-decene-1 by resting cells of Candida rugosa J P 101.
Material and methods
Cultivation: Candida rugosa was grown on glucose agar slants (1.0% malt extract, 0.4% yeast extract and 0.4% glucose, pH 7.2), two loopfulls of the cells were transferred to 80 ml of sterile medium (pH 7.2) (IIZUKA et aE. 1966a, b) containing 1.0% hydrocarbons as the sole carbon source. The hydrocarbons used are as follows: n-decane was a t least 99.6% pure and olefine was not detected by gas-liquid chromatography, n-decene-1 was pure over