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Methylamine, an inhibitor of ammonium oxidation and chemoautotrophic growth in the marine nitrifying bacteriumNitrosococcus oceanus

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Abstract

Methylamine (CH3NH +3 ) appeared to utilize the same transport mechanism as ammonium (NH +4 ) to enter cells ofNitrosococcus oceanus. Methylamine uptake did not show clear evidence of saturable kinetics and was not fully saturated at 20 mM. Assimilated CH3NH +3 was not incorporated into macromolecular constituents, but inhibited rates of nitrification, chemoautotrophic CO2 fixation and growth. The degree of inhibition was dependent on the relative concentrations of NH +4 and CH3NH +3 . Rates of CO2 fixation and growth were inhibited four times more than the rate of nitrification.

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  1. McKown Point, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 04575, West Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA

    Hilary E. Glover

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  1. Hilary E. Glover
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Glover, H.E. Methylamine, an inhibitor of ammonium oxidation and chemoautotrophic growth in the marine nitrifying bacteriumNitrosococcus oceanus . Arch. Microbiol. 132, 37–40 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690814

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690814

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