Abstract
Apparent half-saturation constants (K m) and maximum uptake rates (V max) for sulfate were determined in four species ofDesulfovibrio of freshwater and marine origin using a35S-sulfate tracer technique. The lowerstK m (5 μM) was found in the freshwater speciesDesulfovibrio vulgaris (Marburg) and the highestK m (77 μM) in the marine speciesDesulfovibrio salexigens. Maximum specific rates of sulfate uptake (i.e.,V max) were proportional to the growth rates observed in batch cultures. The halophilicDesulfovibrio salexigens did not change itsK m andV max between 1 and 6,000 μM SO 2-4 , and apparently did not induce a low-affinity uptake system at high sulfate concentrations. The low half-saturation constants measured for sulfate uptake explain why high rates of bacterial sulfate reduction occur in surface sediments of freshwater lakes, and why sulfate reduction can be a quantitatively important process in anaerobic carbon mineralization in low-sulfate environments. The results shows that extremely low sulfate concentrations must occur before sulfate reduction is completely outcompeted by methanogenesis.
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Abbreviations
- MPB:
-
methane producing bacteria
- SRB:
-
sulfate reducing bacteria
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Ingvorsen, K., Jørgensen, B.B. Kinetics of sulfate uptake by freshwater and marine species ofDesulfovibrio . Arch. Microbiol. 139, 61–66 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00692713
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00692713