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Nitrogen fixation by the hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Alcaligenes latus

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Abstract

The aerobic hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Alcaligenes latus represented by three strains was found to be able to grow with dinitrogen as the sole nitrogen source: The doubling time of total (Kjeldahl) nitrogen during growth on glucose at 30°C under an atmosphere containing 2% (v/v) oxygen in dinitrogen amounted to 39 h, while that in the presence of ammonium was 3 h. Nitrogen fixation did apparently not occur under air. During diazotrophic growth the cells accumulated up to 75% (w/dry weight) poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid. The efficiency of nitrogen fixation varied between 10 and 15 mg N per g glucose utilized. The specific nitrogenase activity measured in the acetylene reduction assay amounted to 5–17 nmol C2H4 formed per min and mg protein.

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Malik, K.A., Jung, C., Claus, D. et al. Nitrogen fixation by the hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Alcaligenes latus . Arch. Microbiol. 129, 254–256 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425261

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425261

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