Abstract
Methanococcus (Mc.) thermolithotrophicus can use nitrate as the sole source of nitrogen, but four other species of methanogens cannot. The growth rate was similar on both nitrate and ammonium, but yields were 20–25% lower on nitrate.Mc. thermolithotrophicus, Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, andMethanobrevibacterium smithii were not inhibited by 20 mM nitrate, butMethanospirillum hungatei was inhibited 35%, andMethanosarcina barkeri was completely inhibited by 20 mM nitrate. WhenMc. thermolithotrophicus was growing with nitrate as the sole source of nitrogen, growth was dependent on either molybdenum or tungsten, and the presence of both gave the best growth response; vanadium or chromium did not replace the requirement for these metals. Growth on ammonium could not be strictly demonstrated to require either of these metals, but both molybdenum and tungsten stimulated growth.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature Cited
Allison C, Macfarlane GT (1988) Effect of nitrate on methane production and fermentation by slurries of human fecal bacteria. J Gen Microbiol 134:1397–1405
Balch WE, Wolfe RS (1976) New approach to the cultivation of methanogenic bacteria: 2-mercaptoethane sulfonic acid (HS-CoM)-dependent growth ofMethanobacterium ruminantium in a pressurized atmosphere. Appl Environ Microbiol 32:781–791
Balderston WL, Payne WJ (1976) Inhibition of methanogenesis in salt marsh sediments and whole-cell suspensions of methanogenic bacteria by nitrous oxides. Appl Environ Microbiol 32:264–269
Belay N, Sparling R, Daniels L (1984) Dinitrogen fixation by a thermophilic methanogenic bacterium. Nature (London) 312:286–288
Belay N, Sparling R, Daniels L (1986) Relationship of formate to growth and methanogenesis byMethanococcus thermolithotrophicus. Appl Environ Microbiol 52:1080–1085
Belay N, Johnson R, Rajagopal BS, Conway de Macario E, Daniels L (1988) Methanogenic bacteria from human dental plaque. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:600–603
Belay N, Sparling R, Choi BS, Roberts M, Roberts JE, Daniels L (1988) Physiological and15N-NMR analysis of molecular nitrogen fixation byMethanococcus thermolithotrophicus, Methanobacterium bryantii, andMethanospirillum hungatei. Biochim Biophys Acta 971:233–245
Bomar M, Knoll K, Widdel F (1985) Fixation of molecular nitrogen byMethanosarcina barkeri. FEMS Microbiol Ecology Lett 31:47–55
Bradford MM (1977) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254
Brandis A, Thauer RK, Stetter KO (1981) Relatedness of strains ΔH and Marburg ofMethanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Zb1 Bakt Hyg, I Abt Orig C 2:311–317
Bryant MP, Wolin EA, Wolin MJ, Wolfe RS (1967)Methanobacillus omelianskii, a symbiotic association of two species of bacteria. Arch Mikrobiol 59:20–31
Bryant MP, Tzeng SF, Robinson IM, Joyner AE (1971) Nutrient requirements of methanogenic bacteria. Anaerobic Biological Treatment Processes (Amer Chem Soc), Adv Chem Ser No 105:23–40
Daniels L, Sparling R, Sprott GB (1984) The bioenergetics of methanogenesis. Biochim Biophys Acta 768:113–163
Daniels L, Belay N, Rajagopal BS (1986) Assimilatory reduction of sulfate and sulfite by methanogenic bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 51:703–709
Daniels L, Belay N, Rajagopal BS, Weimer PJ (1987) Bacterial methanogenesis and growth from CO2 with elemental iron as the sole source of electrons. Science 237:509–511
DeMoll E, Tsai L (1986) Utilization of purines or pyrimidines as the sole nitrogen source byMethanococcus vannielii. J Bacteriol 167:681–684
Huber JM, Thomm M, Konig H, Thies G, Stetter KO (1982)Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus, a novel thermophilic lithotrophic methanogen. Arch Microbiol 132:47–50
Jones WJ, Nagle DP, Whitman WB (1987) Methanogens and the diversity of archaebacteria. Microbiol Rev 51:135–177
König H, Nusser E, Stetter KO (1985) Glycogen inMethanolobus andMethanococcus. FEMS Microbiol Lett 28:265–269
Lee KY, Erickson R, Pan SS, Jones G, May F, Nason A (1974) Effect of tungsten and vanadium on the in vitro assembly of assimilatory nitrate reductase utilizingNeurospora Mutant nit-1. J Biol Chem 249:3953–3959
Mah RA, Smith MR, Baresi L (1978) Studies on an acetate fermenting strain ofMethanosarcina. Appl Environ Microbiol 35:1174–1184
Miller TL, Wolin MJ (1985)Methanosphaera stadmaniae gen. nov. sp.nov.: a species that forms methane by reducing methanol with hydrogen. Arch Microbiol 141:116–122
Mountfort DO, Asher RA, Mays EL, Tiedje JM (1980) Carbon and electron flow in mud and sandflat intertidal sediments at Delaware Inlet, Nelson, New Zealand. Appl Environ Microbiol 39:686–694
Murray PA, Zinder SH (1984) Nitrogen fixation by a methanogenic archaebacterium. Nature (London) 312:284–286
Patel GB, Roth LA, van den Berg L, Clark DS (1976) Characterization of a strain ofMethanospirillium hungatei. Can J Microbiol 22:1404–1410
Raymont JEG (1963) Plankton and productivity in the oceans. New York: The Macmillan Company
Scherer P (1989) Vanadium and molybdenum requirement for the fixation of molecular nitrogen by twoMethanosarcina strains. Arch Microbiol 151:44–48
Schönheit P, Moll J, Thauer RK (1979) Nickel, cobalt, and molybdenum requirement for growth ofMethanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. Arch Microbiol 123:105–107
Sowers KR, Ferry JG (1985) Trace metal and vitamin requirements ofMethanococcoides methylutens. Arch Microbiol 142:148–151
Whitman WB, Ankwanda E, Wolfe RS (1982) Nutrition and carbon metabolism ofMethanococcus voltae. J Bacteriol 149:852–863
Whitman WB, Sohn S, Kuk S, Xing R (1987) Role of amino acids and vitamins in nutrition of mesophilicMethanococcus spp. Appl Environ Microbiol 53:2373–2378
Widdel F (1986) Growth of methanogenic bacteria in pure culture with 2-propanol and other alcohols as hydrogen donors. Appl Environ Microbiol 51:1056–1062
Winfrey MR, Zeikus JG (1979) Microbial methanogenesis and acetate metabolism in a meromictic lake. Appl Environ Microbiol 37:213–221
Winfrey MR, Zeikus JG (1979) Anaerobic metabolism of immediate methane precursors in Lake Mendota. Appl Environ Microbiol 37:244–253
Zellner G, Alten C, Stackebrandt E, Conway de Macario E, Winter J (1987) Isolation and characterization ofMethanocorpusculum parvum, gen. nov., spec. nov., a new tungsten requiring, coccoid methanogen. Arch Microbiol 147:13–20
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Belay, N., Jung, KY., Rajagopal, B.S. et al. Nitrate as a sole nitrogen source forMethanococcus thermolithotrophicus and its effect on growth of several methanogenic bacteria. Current Microbiology 21, 193–198 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02092121
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02092121