The molar growth yield of Aerobacter aerogenes growing anaerobically with glucose in a mineral medium was almost doubled when NO3− was added as hydrogen acceptor. About half a mole of NO3− was reduced to NH4+ per mole of glucose. The amount of ATP produced from glucose fermentation calculated from the molar growth yield and the acetate production was about 3 moles ATP/mole glucose. The total amount of ATP produced, deduced from the molar growth yield, was used to calculate that about 3 moles ATP were produced per mole of NO3− reduced. Comparable experiments with mannitol as carbon source gave the same results. When nitrite was used as hydrogen acceptor the anaerobic molar growth yield was the same or even smaller than in its absence, although the acetate production increased. The results suggest that during NO2− reduction no ATP is produced and that the ATP formed during reduction of NO3− to NH4+ is completely produced during the reduction of NO3− to NO2−.
ForgetP.,
PichinotyF.1964; Influence de la respiration anaerobie du nitrate et du fumarate sur le metabolisme fermentaire d'Aerobacter aerogenes. Biochim. biophys. Acta 82:441
HadjipetrouL. P.,
GerritsJ. G.,
TeulingsF. A. G.,
StouthamerA. H.1964; Relation between energy production and growth of Aerobacter aerogenes. J. gen. Microbiol. 36:159
LewisP. R.,
HinshelwoodC. N.1948; The growth of coliform bacteria in media containing nitrate and nitrite. 1. Adaptation to growth with nitrate and nitrite as nitrogen sources.. J. chem. Soc. p. 824
MiddletonK. R.1959; The use of the orange I method for determining soil nitrates and a comparison with the phenol-sulphonic acid method for soils of N. Nigeria.. J. Sci. Fd Agric. 10:218
NasonA.1962; Symposium on metabolism of inorganic compounds. II. Enzymatic pathways of nitrate, nitrite and hydroxylamine metabolisms.. Bad. Rev. 26:16
PichinotyF.1960; Reduction assimilative du nitrate par les cultures aerobies d.'Aerobacter aerogenes. Influence de la nutrition azotee sur la croissance.. Folia Microbiol. Delft 5:165
TakahaskiH.,
TaniguchiS.,
EgamiF.1957; Nitrate reduction in aerobic bacteria and that in Escherichia coli coupled in phosphorylation.. J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 43:223