Methanotrophs have been used to convert methane to methanol at ambient temperature and pressure. In order to accumulate methanol using methanotrophs, methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) must be downregulated as it consumes methanol. Here, we describe a methanol production system wherein MDH expression is controlled by using methanotroph mutants. We used the MxaF knockout mutant of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. It could only grow with MDH (XoxF) which has a cerium ion in its active site and is only expressed by bacteria in media containing cerium ions. In the presence of 0 ﾎｼM copper ion and 25 ﾎｼM cerium ion, the mutant grew normally. Under conditions conducive to methanol production (10 ﾎｼM copper ion and 0 ﾎｼM cerium ion), cell growth was inhibited and methanol accumulated (2.6 ﾎｼmolﾂｷmg竏�1 dry cell weightﾂｷh竏�1). The conversion efficiency of the accumulated methanol to the total amount of methane added to the reaction system was ~0.3%. The aforementioned conditions were repeatedly alternated by modulating the metal ion composition of the bacterial growth medium.
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