Abstract
The cause of the failure of the C2H2-C2H4 assay for nitrogen-fixing bacteria growing on lower alkanes was studied. Acetylene was a strong competitive inhibitor of methane oxidation for methane-utilizing bacteria, as well as for the oxidation of lower alkanes by other bacteria, so that energy and reducing power were no longer available for the reduction of acetylene by nitrogenase. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria grown on alkanes may reduce acetylene when intermediates of alkane-breakdown or other substrates oxidizable in the presence of acetylene are supplied. Ethylene co-oxidation is not responsible for the failure of the test, because acetylene also inhibits this co-oxidation along with methane oxidation.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Brouzes R., Knowles R. Inhibition of growth of Clostridium pasteurianum by acetylene: implication for nitrogen fixation assay. Can J Microbiol. 1971 Dec;17(12):1483–1489. doi: 10.1139/m71-238. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Elleway R. F., Sabine J. R., Nicholas D. J. Acetylene reduction by rumen microflora. Arch Mikrobiol. 1971;76(4):277–291. doi: 10.1007/BF00408525. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ferenci T. Carbon monoxide-stimulated respiration in methane-utilizing bacteria. FEBS Lett. 1974 Apr 15;41(1):94–98. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(74)80962-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Harrison D. E. Studies on the affinity of methanol--and methane--utilizing bacteria for their carbon substrates. J Appl Bacteriol. 1973 Jun;36(2):301–308. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1973.tb04106.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- OOYAMA J., FOSTER J. W. BACTERIAL OXIDATION OF CYCLOPARAFFINIC HYDROCARBONS. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1965;31:45–65. doi: 10.1007/BF02045875. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ribbons D. W., Michalover J. L. Methane oxidation by cell-free extracts of Methylococcus capsulatus. FEBS Lett. 1970 Nov 9;11(1):41–44. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(70)80487-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Whittenbury R., Phillips K. C., Wilkinson J. F. Enrichment, isolation and some properties of methane-utilizing bacteria. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 May;61(2):205–218. doi: 10.1099/00221287-61-2-205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- de Bont J. A. Oxidation of ethylene by bacteria. Ann Appl Biol. 1975 Sep;81(1):119–121. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1975.tb00524.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]