Eleven different types of bacteria were isolated which were capable of growing onε-caprolactam, the monomeric material for nylon 6 polyamide, as the sole source of both carbon and nitrogen.The optimal concentration ofε-caprolactam for the bacterial growth was about 0.6in a synthetic liquid medium enriched with a small amount of yeast extract.The bacterial strains grew also onγ-butyrolactam,δ-valerolactam and theω-amino acids corresponding to these lactams andε-caprolactam. Ammonium adipate was a good substrate for the growth of all the strains.One strain ofCorynebacterium aurantiacumwas found to be capable of utilizing cyclic and linear oligomers of 6-aminocaproic acid with an exception of cyclic dimer.The strains of corynebacteria required vitamin B1for growth.Metabolism ofε-caprolactam and related compounds is discussed b
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