Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1989 May;55(5):1052–1057. doi: 10.1128/aem.55.5.1052-1057.1989

More monensin-sensitive, ammonia-producing bacteria from the rumen.

G Chen 1, J B Russell 1
PMCID: PMC184253  PMID: 2757371

Abstract

Two monensin-sensitive bacteria which utilized carbohydrates poorly and grew rapidly on amino acids were isolated from the bovine rumen. The short rods (strain SR) fermented arginine, serine, lysine, glutamine, and threonine rapidly (greater than 158 nmol/mg of protein per h) and grew faster on casein digest containing short peptides than on free amino acids ().34 versus 0.29 h(-1)). Gelatin hydrolysate, an amino acid source containing an abundance of long peptides, was unable to support growth or ammonia production, but there was a large increase in ammonia production if strain SR was cocultured with peptidase-producing ruminal bacteria (Bacteroides ruminicola or Streptococcus bovis). Cocultures showed no synergism with short peptides. Strain SR washed out of continuous culture ().1 h(-1)) at pH 5.9. The irregularly shaped organisms (strain F) deaminated glutamine, histidine, glutamate, and serine rapidly (greater than 137 nmol/mg of protein per min) and grew faster on free amino acids than on short peptides ().43 versus 0.21 h(-1)). When strain F was provided with casein or gelatin hydrolysate and cocultured with peptidase-producing bacteria, there was a more than additive increase in ammonia production. Strain F grew in continuous culture (0.1 h(-1)) when the pH was as low as 5.3. The irregularly shaped cells and short rods were present at less than 10(9)/ml in vivo, but they ahd very high specific activities of ammonia production (greater than 310 nmol of ammonia/mg of protein per min) and could play an important role in ruminal amino acid fermentation.

Full text

PDF
1052

Images in this article

1053Image
on p.1053

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ANNISON E. F. Nitrogen metabolism in the sheep; protein digestion in the rumen. Biochem J. 1956 Dec;64(4):705–714. doi: 10.1042/bj0640705. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BAILEY R. W. The reaction of pentoses with anthrone. Biochem J. 1958 Apr;68(4):669–672. doi: 10.1042/bj0680669. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BURTON K. A study of the conditions and mechanism of the diphenylamine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid. Biochem J. 1956 Feb;62(2):315–323. doi: 10.1042/bj0620315. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bladen H. A., Bryant M. P., Doetsch R. N. A Study of Bacterial Species from the Rumen Which Produce Ammonia from Protein Hydrolyzate. Appl Microbiol. 1961 Mar;9(2):175–180. doi: 10.1128/am.9.2.175-180.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CHANEY A. L., MARBACH E. P. Modified reagents for determination of urea and ammonia. Clin Chem. 1962 Apr;8:130–132. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chen G. J., Russell J. B. Fermentation of peptides and amino acids by a monensin-sensitive ruminal Peptostreptococcus. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Nov;54(11):2742–2749. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.11.2742-2749.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chen M., Wolin M. J. Effect of monensin and lasalocid-sodium on the growth of methanogenic and rumen saccharolytic bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Jul;38(1):72–77. doi: 10.1128/aem.38.1.72-77.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dennis S. M., Nagaraja T. G., Bartley E. E. Effects of lasalocid or monensin on lactate-producing or -using rumen bacteria. J Anim Sci. 1981 Feb;52(2):418–426. doi: 10.2527/jas1981.522418x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Donius D. A., Simpson M. E., Marsh P. B. Effect of monensin fed with forage on digestion and the ruminal ecosystem of steers. J Anim Sci. 1976 Jan;42(1):229–234. doi: 10.2527/jas1976.421229x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. EL-SHAZLY K. Degradation of protein in the rumen of the sheep. II. The action of rumen micro-organisms on amino acids. Biochem J. 1952 Aug;51(5):647–653. doi: 10.1042/bj0510647. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hino T., Russell J. B. Effect of reducing-equivalent disposal and NADH/NAD on deamination of amino acids by intact rumen microorganisms and their cell extracts. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Dec;50(6):1368–1374. doi: 10.1128/aem.50.6.1368-1374.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LEWIS D., ELSDEN S. R. The fermentation of L-threonine, L-serine, L-cysteine and acrylic acid by a gram-negative coccus. Biochem J. 1955 Aug;60(4):683–692. doi: 10.1042/bj0600683. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Muir L. A., Barreto A., Jr Sensitivity of Streptococcus bovis to various antibiotics. J Anim Sci. 1979 Mar;48(3):468–473. doi: 10.2527/jas1979.483468x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Russell J. B. A proposed mechanism of monensin action in inhibiting ruminal bacterial growth: effects on ion flux and protonmotive force. J Anim Sci. 1987 May;64(5):1519–1525. doi: 10.2527/jas1987.6451519x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Russell J. B., Baldwin R. L. Substrate preferences in rumen bacteria: evidence of catabolite regulatory mechanisms. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 Aug;36(2):319–329. doi: 10.1128/aem.36.2.319-329.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Russell J. B. Fermentation of Peptides by Bacteroides ruminicola B(1)4. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 May;45(5):1566–1574. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.5.1566-1574.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Russell J. B., Sniffen C. J., Van Soest P. J. Effect of carbohydrate limitation on degradation and utilization of casein by mixed rumen bacteria. J Dairy Sci. 1983 Apr;66(4):763–775. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(83)81856-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Russell J. B., Strobel H. J., Chen G. J. Enrichment and isolation of a ruminal bacterium with a very high specific activity of ammonia production. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Apr;54(4):872–877. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.4.872-877.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Slyter L. L. Influence of acidosis on rumen function. J Anim Sci. 1976 Oct;43(4):910–929. doi: 10.2527/jas1976.434910x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Van Nevel C. J., Demeyer D. I. Effect of monensin on rumen metabolism in vitro. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 Sep;34(3):251–257. doi: 10.1128/aem.34.3.251-257.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES