utilization of 5-oxoproline, ammonia and glutamine by Rhizobium leguminosarum in chemostat culture

• Published in: Journal of general microbiology Vol. 129; no. 6; pp. 1707 - 1712
• Main Authors: Ratcliffe, H.D, Drozd, J.W, Bull, A.T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Soc General Microbiol 1983
• Subjects: ammonia; nitrogen fixation; Rhizobium leguminosarum
• ISSN: 0022-1287; 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-129-6-1707

Shell Research Limited, Sittingbourne Research Centre, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8 AG, U.K. Department of Applied Biology, University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF1 3NU, U.K. ABSTRACT SUMMARY: The growth in continuous culture of Rhizobium leguminosarum on the nitrogen sources glutamine, ammonia, or ammonia and 5-oxoproline (formed when aqueous glutamine solutions are autoclaved) is described. When growth was nitrogen-limited with autoclaved glutamine the specific rate of 5-oxoproline utilization was independent of dilution rate, whereas the specific rate of ammonia utilization increased with dilution rate. Although the culture was nitrogen-limited, excess nitrogen (as 5-oxoproline) was still present in the supernatant, especially at high dilution rates. Values obtained for Y max glucose and Y max oxgen were 72.2 and 32.5 g dry wt bacteria (mol substrate) -1 , respectively, under ammonia/5-oxoproline limitation and 95.7 and 30.2 g dry wt bacteria (mol substrate) -1 , respectively, under glutamine limitation. Present address: Biological Laboratory, University of Kent at Canterbury, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, U.K. Present address: Biotechnology Department, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat, Kuwait.