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. 1990 Sep;56(9):2692–2697. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.9.2692-2697.1990

Coexisting Bacterial Populations Responsible for Multiphasic Mineralization Kinetics in Soil

S K Schmidt 1,*, M J Gier 1,†
PMCID: PMC184829  PMID: 16348277

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to study populations of indigenous microorganisms capable of mineralizing 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) in two soils. Previous kinetic analyses indicated the presence of two coexisting populations of DNP-mineralizing microorganisms in a forest soil (soil 1). Studies in which eucaryotic and procaryotic inhibitors were added to this soil indicated that both populations were bacterial. Most-probable-number counts with media containing different concentrations of DNP indicated that more bacteria could mineralize low concentrations of DNP than could metabolize high concentrations of it. Enrichments with varying concentrations of DNP and various combinations of inhibitors consistently resulted in the isolation of the same two species of bacteria from soil 1. This soil contained a large number and variety of fungi, but no fungi capable of mineralizing DNP were isolated. The two bacterial isolates were identified as a Janthinobacterium sp. and a Rhodococcus sp. The Janthinobacterium sp. had a low μmax and a low Km for DNP mineralization, whereas the Rhodococcus sp. had much higher values for both parameters. These differences between the two species of bacteria were similar to differences seen when soil was incubated with different concentrations of DNP. Values for μmax from soil incubations were similar to μmax values obtained in pure culture studies. In contrast, Ks and Km values showed greater variation between soil and pure culture studies. The results of this study help to confirm predictions that two physiologically distinct bacterial populations are responsible for the multiphasic mineralization kinetics observed in the soil studied.

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Selected References

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