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Occurrence of nitrogen fixation among Vibrio spp.

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Abstract

Virtually all Vibrio spp. known and available in culture collections and several newly isolated Vibrio sp. were tested for their ability to fix molecular nitrogen, using the acetylene reduction technique, the fixation of the heavy isotope 15N, and by growth on media devoid of combined nitrogen. Among the 27 species tested, four, including V. diazotrophicus, proved to be nitrogenase-positive. The potential of nitrogen fixation was now also discovered in V. natriegens, V. pelagius and V. cincinnatiensis. Among the 9 newly isolated strains, 4 were nitrogenase-positive. These strains were classified as V. diazotrophicus on the basis of DNA homology studies. Nitrogenase was only induced during growth under anaerobic conditions. Dissolved oxygen as low as 1 μM inhibited nitrogenase completely. This inhibition at low oxygen concentration, however, was reversible. 50–100 μM dissolved oxygen inhibited nitrogenase irreversibly.

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Author notes

  1. Lucas J. Stal

    Present address: Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1018 WS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, University of Bordeaux I, Av. des Facultés, F-33405, Talence, France

    Maria C. Urdaci & Michel Marchand

  2. Fachbereich Biologie, Universität Oldenburg, POBox 2503, D-2900, Oldenburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    Lucas J. Stal

Authors
  1. Maria C. Urdaci
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  2. Lucas J. Stal
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  3. Michel Marchand
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This work was carried out at Geomicrobiology Division, the University of Oldenburg, FRG

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Urdaci, M.C., Stal, L.J. & Marchand, M. Occurrence of nitrogen fixation among Vibrio spp.. Arch. Microbiol. 150, 224–229 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407784

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407784

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