Hydrogen yield from a hydrogenase in Frankia R43 at different levels of the carbon source propionate.

Fermentative hydrogen yield was investigated in the Frankia strain R43, which was grown in different amounts of the carbon source propionate. In relation to hydrogen yield, the hydrogenase enzyme was characterized by use of Western blot. A bioreactor study revealed a 10-fold increase in growth within 50 h. The study showed that there is an active anaerobic hydrogen production in Frankia R43 and that this hydrogenase is immunologically related to the subunit HoxU of Ralstonia eutropha.