Abstract
A previously undescribed denitrifying bacterium was isolated from soil. The cells are small gram-negative rods, asporogenous, and non-motile. Colonies become yellow after long exposure to light. This colouring is due to the production of a carotenoid pigment. The organism shows no fermenting activity, and grows only in the presence of one of the following electron acceptors: NO sup-inf2 , N2O, and O2. It does not reduce nitrate. It gives a positive oxidase test and has a cytochrome c and catalase. It requires no growth factors, is a chemoorganotroph and uses only sugars as carbon and energy supply. The DNA base composition is 40.8 moles percent GC. Although presenting the physiological characteristics of a pseudomonad, the organism described has been placed in the genus Flavobacterium because of its pigmentation and its low GC percentage.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bernaerts, M. J. and De Ley, J. 1963. A biochemical test for crown gall bacteria. — Nature (London) 197: 406–407.
Garcia, J.-L. 1974. Reduction de l'oxyde nitreux dans les sols de rizières du Sénégal: mesure de l'activité dénitrifiante. — Soil Biol. Biochem. 6: 79–84.
Mandel, M. 1966. Deoxyribonucleic acid base composition in the genus Pseudomonas. —J. Gen. Microbiol. 43: 273–292.
Mandel, M., Schildkraut, C. L. and Marmur, J. 1968. Use of CsCl density gradient analysis for determining the guanine plus cytosine content of DNA, p. 184–195. In S.P. Colowick and N. O. Kaplan, (Eds.). Methods in Enzymology, Vol. XII B. — Academic Press, New York and London.
Miyata, M. and Mori, T. 1968. Studies on denitrification. VIII. Production of nitric oxide by denitrifying reaction in the presence of tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine. — J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 64: 849–861.
Pichinoty, F. 1973. La réduction bacterienne des composés oxygénés minéraux de l'azote. — Bull. Inst. Pasteur 71: 317–395.
Pichinoty, F. et Piéchaud, M. 1968. Recherche des nitrate-réductases bactériennes A et B: méthodes. — Ann. Inst. Pasteur 114: 77–98.
Schildkraut, C. L., Marmur, J. and Doty, P. 1962. Determination of the base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid from its buoyant density in CsCl. — J. Mol. Biol. 4: 430–433.
Skerman, V. B. D. 1967. A guide to the identification of the genera of bacteria, p. 270, 2nd ed. — The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore.
Stanier, R. Y., Palleroni, N. J. and Doudoroff, M. 1966. The aerobic pseudomonads: a taxonomic study. — J. Gen. Microbiol. 43: 159–271.
Weeks, O. B. 1974. Genus Flavobacterium Bergey et al. 1923, 97, p. 357–364. In R. E. Buchanan and N. E. Gibbons, (Eds.), Bergey's Manual of determinative bacteriology, 8th ed. — The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pichinoty, F., Bigliardi-Rouvier, J., Mandel, M. et al. The isolation and properties of a denitrifying bacterium of the genus Flavobacterium . Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 42, 349–354 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394134
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00394134