Glycogen formation by Rhodococcus species and the effect of inhibition of lipid biosynthesis on glycogen accumulation in Rhodococcus opacus PD630

Members of the genus Rhodococcus were investigated for their ability to produce glycogen during cultivation on gluconate or glucose. Strains belonging to Rhodococcus ruber, Rhodococcus opacus, Rhodococcus fascians, Rhodococcus erythropolis and Rhodococcus equi were able to produce glycogen up to 0.2–5.6% of cellular dry weight (CDW). The glycogen content varied from 0.8% to 3.2% of CDW in cells of R. opacus PD630, which is a well-known oleaginous bacterium, during the exponential growth phase, when cultivated on diverse carbon sources. Maltose and pyruvate promoted glycogen accumulation by cells of strain PD630 to a greater extent than glucose, gluconate, lactose, sucrose or acetate. This strain was able to produce triacylglycerols, polyhydroxyalkanoates and glycogen as storage compounds during growth on gluconate, although triacylglycerols were always the main product under the conditions of this study. Cerulenin, an inhibitor of de novo fatty acid synthesis, inhibited the accumulation of triacylglycerols from gluconate and increased the content of polyhydroxyalkanoates (from 2.0% to 4.2%, CDW) and glycogen (from 0.1% to 3.0%, CDW). An increase of the polyhydroxyalkanoates and glycogen content was also observed in two mutants of R. opacus PD630, which produced reduced amounts of triacylglycerols during cultivation of cells on gluconate.