Biology, physiology and biochemistry of hyphomicrobia

The stable operation of nitritation process with the continuous granular sludge-type reactor and microbial community analysis

The nitritation step is the fundament for the biological nitrogen removal regardless of the traditional nitrification and denitrification process, the nitrite shunt process or the anammox process. Thus, exploring the effective nitritation performance is an important aspect of biological nitrogen removal. This study explored the upper limit of nitritation rate by increasing hydraulic residence time with the well-mixed and continuous granular sludge-type reactor characterized with low complexity and easy operation. The results showed that with the nitrogen loading rate of 1.0 kg/m3/d, the nitrite production rate could reach up to 0.65 kg/m3/d with the nitrite production efficiency of 63.49%, which is remarkable compared to that in the previously similar research. The microbial analysis indicated that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria was successfully enriched (13.27%) and genus Nitrosomonas was the dominant bacteria type. Besides, the activity of ammonium oxidizing bacteria in the continuous flow reactor was higher than that of other reactor types. The growth of vorticella on the sludge was also found in the reactor. The test of specific sludge activity and the microbe analysis both indicated that the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria was well inhibited during the whole experiment, which indicated the strategy of simply adjusting the dissolved oxygen is effective for running of nitritation process. The phosphorus removal performance was also achieved with a removal efficiency of 23.53%. The functional composition of the microbial community in the samples was predicted and finally transformation mechanism of nitrogen in sludge was drawn. In sum, this study indicated the superior performance of the granule sludge-type nitritation process and give a reference for the application of biological nitrogen removal technology.

Detoxification Esterase StrH Initiates Strobilurin Fungicide Degradation in Hyphomicrobium sp. Strain DY-1

Strobilurin fungicides are widely used in agricultural production due to their broad-spectrum and fungal mitochondrial inhibitory activities. However, their massive application has restrained the growth of eukaryotic algae and increased collateral damage in freshwater systems, notably harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs). In this study, a strobilurin fungicide-degrading strain, Hyphomicrobium sp. strain DY-1, was isolated and characterized successfully. Moreover, a novel esterase gene, strH, responsible for the de-esterification of strobilurin fungicides, was cloned, and the enzymatic properties of StrH were studied. For trifloxystrobin, StrH displayed maximum activity at 50°C and pH 7.0. The catalytic efficiencies (k _cat/K_m ) of StrH for different strobilurin fungicides were 196.32 ± 2.30 μM^-1 · s^-1 (trifloxystrobin), 4.64 ± 0.05 μM^-1 · s^-1 (picoxystrobin), 2.94 ± 0.02 μM^-1 · s^-1 (pyraclostrobin), and (2.41 ± 0.19)×10^-2μM^-1 · s^-1 (azoxystrobin). StrH catalyzed the de-esterification of a variety of strobilurin fungicides, generating the corresponding parent acid to achieve the detoxification of strobilurin fungicides and relieve strobilurin fungicide growth inhibition of Chlorella This research will provide insight into the microbial remediation of strobilurin fungicide-contaminated environments.IMPORTANCE Strobilurin fungicides have been widely acknowledged as an essential group of pesticides worldwide. So far, their residues and toxic effects on aquatic organisms have been reported in different parts of the world. Microbial degradation can eliminate xenobiotics from the environment. Therefore, the degradation of strobilurin fungicides by microorganisms has also been reported. However, little is known about the involvement of enzymes or genes in strobilurin fungicide degradation. In this study, a novel esterase gene responsible for the detoxification of strobilurin fungicides, strH, was cloned in the newly isolated strain Hyphomicrobium sp. DY-1. This degradation process detoxifies the strobilurin fungicides and relieves their growth inhibition of Chlorella.

The Effects of Soil Depth on the Structure of Microbial Communities in Agricultural Soils in Iowa, USA

This study investigated the differences in microbial community abundance, composition and diversity throughout the depth profiles in soils collected from corn and soybean fields in lowa, USA using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results revealed decreased richness and diversity in microbial communities at increasing soil depth. Soil microbial community composition differed due to crop type only in the top 60 cm and due to location only in the top 90 cm. While the relative abundance of most phyla decreased in deep soils, the relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria increased and dominated agricultural soils below the depth of 90 cm. Although soil depth was the most important factor shaping microbial communities, edaphic factors including soil organic matter, soil bulk density and the length of time that deep soils were saturated with water were all significant factors explaining the variation in soil microbial community composition. Soil organic matter showed the highest correlation with the exponential decrease in bacterial abundance with depth. A greater understanding of how soil depth influences the diversity and composition of soil microbial communities is vital for guiding sampling approaches in agricultural soils where plant roots extend beyond the upper soil profile. In the long term a greater knowledge of the influence of depth on microbial communities should contribute to new strategies that enhance the sustainability of soil which is a precious resource for food security.IMPORTANCE Determining how microbial properties change across different soils and within the soil depth profile, will be potentially beneficial to understanding the long-term processes that are involved in the health of agricultural ecosystems. Most literature on soil microbes has been restricted to the easily accessible surface soils. However, deep soils are important in soil formation, carbon sequestration, and in providing nutrients and water for plants. In the most productive agricultural systems in the USA where soybean and corn are grown, crop plant roots extend into the deeper regions of soils (> 100 cm), but little is known about the taxonomic diversity or the factors that shape deep soil microbial communities. The findings reported here highlight the importance of soil depth in shaping microbial communities, provide new information about edaphic factors that influence the deep soil communities and reveal more detailed information on taxa that exist in deep agricultural soils.

Comparative Analysis of Denitrifying Activities of Hyphomicrobium nitrativorans, Hyphomicrobium denitrificans, and Hyphomicrobium zavarzinii

Hyphomicrobium spp. are commonly identified as major players in denitrification systems supplied with methanol as a carbon source. However, denitrifying Hyphomicrobium species are poorly characterized, and very few studies have provided information on the genetic and physiological aspects of denitrification in pure cultures of these bacteria. This is a comparative study of three denitrifying Hyphomicrobium species, H. denitrificans ATCC 51888, H. zavarzinii ZV622, and a newly described species, H. nitrativorans NL23, which was isolated from a denitrification system treating seawater. Whole-genome sequence analyses revealed that although they share numerous orthologous genes, these three species differ greatly in their nitrate reductases, with gene clusters encoding a periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap) in H. nitrativorans, a membrane-bound nitrate reductase (Nar) in H. denitrificans, and one Nap and two Nar enzymes in H. zavarzinii. Concurrently with these differences observed at the genetic level, important differences in the denitrification capacities of these Hyphomicrobium species were determined. H. nitrativorans grew and denitrified at higher nitrate and NaCl concentrations than did the two other species, without significant nitrite accumulation. Significant increases in the relative gene expression levels of the nitrate (napA) and nitrite (nirK) reductase genes were also noted for H. nitrativorans at higher nitrate and NaCl concentrations. Oxygen was also found to be a strong regulator of denitrification gene expression in both H. nitrativorans and H. zavarzinii, although individual genes responded differently in these two species. Taken together, the results presented in this study highlight the potential of H. nitrativorans as an efficient and adaptable bacterium that is able to perform complete denitrification under various conditions.

Seasonal change in methanotrophic diversity and populations in a rice field soil assessed by DNA-stable isotope probing and quantitative real-time PCR

The community structure of methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) is affected by concentrations of methane and oxygen. In rice fields, concentrations of both gases differ significantly between the flooded and drained seasons. We investigated the active methanotrophic community structures in flooded and drained soils by DNA-based stable isotope probing. Active methanotrophic diversity was assessed with clone library-based analyses of the 16S rRNA gene and the particulate methane monooxygenase gene (pmoA). The active methanotrophic populations were also estimated by group-specific quantitative real-time PCR assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene and the pmoA gene in (13)C-labeled DNA. These molecular biological analyses showed that the flooded rice field soil was dominated by Type II methanotrophs closely related to the genera Methylocystis and Methylosinus, whereas the drained rice field soil was dominated by Type I methanotrophs closely related to the genera Methylomonas, Methylosarcina, and Methylomicrobium. The alternating conditions in a rice field select for methanotrophs adapted to each environment, resulting in a dramatic change in methanotrophic community structure from one season to another.

Development of Defined, Minimal, and Complete Media for the Growth of Hyphomicrobium neptunium

A complete synthetic medium containing 15 amino acids, a minimal synthetic medium (GAMS) containing 4 amino acids, and a supplemented minimal medium (GAMS + calcium pantothenate) have been developed for the cultivation of Hyphomicrobium neptunium ATCC 15444. Depending on the complexity of the synthetic media, generation times were approximately 2 to 3 times longer, and maximum cell densities were 0.3 to 0.9 log(10) lower than in ZoBell marine broth 2216. The fates of C-labeled amino acids in GAMS were monitored. Results suggested that H. neptunium was auxotrophic for methionine, utilized glutamic acid as a primary energy source, and readily anabolized and catabolized serine and aspartic acid. Individual amino acid concentrations above 125 mM induced prolonged lag periods, whereas only methionine was not growth limiting at a concentration as low as 2 mM.

Diversity and structure of hyphomicrobium populations in a sewage treatment plant and its adjacent receiving lake

Budding methylotrophic bacteria resembling Hyphomicrobium spp. were counted for 12 months in a German sewage treatment plant by most-probable-number (MPN) methods. Influent samples contained up to 2 x 10(sup4) cells ml(sup-1), activated sludge consistently contained 1 x 10(sup5) to 5 x 10(sup5) cells ml(sup-1), and the effluent contained 1 x 10(sup3) to 4 x 10(sup3) cells ml(sup-1). The receiving lake had only 2 to 12 cells ml(sup-1). Six morphological groups with different growth requirements could be observed among 1,199 pure cultures that had been isolated from MPN dilutions. With dot blot DNA hybridizations, 671 isolates were assigned to 30 hybridization groups (HGs) and 84 could not be classified. Only HG 22 hybridized with a known species, Hyphomicrobium facilis IFAM B-522. Fourteen HGs (HGs 8 to 20 and HG 22) were specific for the lake; most others occurred only in the treatment plant. HGs 1, 3, and 26 were found in the activated sludge tank throughout the year, and HGs 27 and 28 were found for most of the year. In summary, it was demonstrated that bacteria with nearly identical and specific morphologies and nutritional types showed a high level of genetic diversity, although they were isolated under the same conditions and from the same treatment plant or its receiving lake. A directional exchange of these genetically different populations was possible but less significant, as was shown by the establishment of distinct populations in specific stations.

Molecular characterization of dichloromethane-degrading Hyphomicrobium strains using 16S rDNA and DCM dehalogenase gene sequences

A phylogenetic analysis of 6 strains of dichloromethane (DCM) utilizing bacteria was performed. Based on the almost complete 16S rDNA sequence determination, all strains clustered together and showed high sequence similarity to Hyphomicrobium denitrificans, except for the strain MC8b, which is only moderately related to them and probably represents a distinct species. The 16S rDNA-based phylogenetic tree was compared to the one obtained from the DNA sequence data of the dcmA gene coding DCM dehalogenase, the key enzyme of DCM utilization. The topology of the two trees is in good agreement and may suggest an ancient origin of DCM dehalogenase, but also raises questions about the original role of the enzyme.

Quantifying functional gene populations: comparing gene abundance and corresponding enzymatic activity using denitrification and nitrogen fixation in pulp and paper mill effluent treatment systems

The relationship between the abundance of three functional genes and their corresponding biochemical reaction rates was investigated in several activated sludge and mill effluent microbial communities. Gene probes were prepared for two key denitrification genes (nirS and nirK) and for one nitrogen-fixation gene (nifH) and were validated using a variety of strains of known nir and nif genotype. ATP-based measures of viable cell numbers were used to provide total population sizes. In certain microbial communities (activated sludge enrichment cultures and multiple samples taken from the same mill primary clarifier), a strong correlation was observed between gene abundance and biochemical activity rates. However, when comparing several different nonenriched activated sludge bioreactors and separate primary clarifier microbial communities, the ratio of specific gene abundance to biochemical activity rates varied widely. These results suggest that in cases where a microbial community is not fully induced for a given biochemical activity or when very different communities are compared, quantitative gene probing can give a better measure of a community's potential to carry out the encoded function than can the relevant biochemical assay. However, the gene quantitation method employed here probably underestimated the true number of probed genes present in the microbial communities due to nirS and nifH genes in the communities having reduced DNA sequence similarity with the probes used.

Methyl chloride utilising bacteria are ubiquitous in the natural environment

Enrichment and isolation of methyl chloride utilising bacteria from a variety of pristine terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine and marine environments resulted in the detection of six new methyl chloride utilising Hyphomicrobium strains, strain CMC related to Aminobacter spp. and to two previously isolated methyl halide utilising bacteria CC495 and IMB-1, and a Gram-positive isolate SAC-4 phylogenetically related to Nocardioides spp. All the pristine environments sampled for enrichment resulted in the successful isolation of methyl chloride utilising organisms.

Methanotrophic bacteria

Methane-utilizing bacteria (methanotrophs) are a diverse group of gram-negative bacteria that are related to other members of the Proteobacteria. These bacteria are classified into three groups based on the pathways used for assimilation of formaldehyde, the major source of cell carbon, and other physiological and morphological features. The type I and type X methanotrophs are found within the gamma subdivision of the Proteobacteria and employ the ribulose monophosphate pathway for formaldehyde assimilation, whereas type II methanotrophs, which employ the serine pathway for formaldehyde assimilation, form a coherent cluster within the beta subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Methanotrophic bacteria are ubiquitous. The growth of type II bacteria appears to be favored in environments that contain relatively high levels of methane, low levels of dissolved oxygen, and limiting concentrations of combined nitrogen and/or copper. Type I methanotrophs appear to be dominant in environments in which methane is limiting and combined nitrogen and copper levels are relatively high. These bacteria serve as biofilters for the oxidation of methane produced in anaerobic environments, and when oxygen is present in soils, atmospheric methane is oxidized. Their activities in nature are greatly influenced by agricultural practices and other human activities. Recent evidence indicates that naturally occurring, uncultured methanotrophs represent new genera. Methanotrophs that are capable of oxidizing methane at atmospheric levels exhibit methane oxidation kinetics different from those of methanotrophs available in pure cultures. A limited number of methanotrophs have the genetic capacity to synthesize a soluble methane monooxygenase which catalyzes the rapid oxidation of environmental pollutants including trichloroethylene.

A biochemical study of the intermediary carbon metabolism of Shewanella putrefaciens

Cell extracts were used to determine the enzymes involved in the intermediary carbon metabolism of several strains of Shewanella putrefaciens. Enzymes of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway (6-phosphogluconate dehydratase and 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase) were detected, but those of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway were not. While several tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes were present under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, two key enzymes (2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and pyruvate dehydrogenase) were greatly diminished under anaerobic conditions. Extracts of cell grown anaerobically on formate as the sole source of carbon and energy were positive for hydroxypyruvate reductase, the key enzyme of the serine pathway in other methylotrophs, while no hexulose synthase activity was seen.

Isolation of a dimethylsulfide-utilizing Hyphomicrobium species and its application in biofiltration of polluted air

The methylotrophic bacterium Hyphomicrobium VS was enriched and isolated, using activated sewage sludge as inoculum in mineral medium containing dimethylsulfide (DMS) at a low concentration to prevent toxicity. DMS concentrations above 1 mM proved to be growth inhibiting. Hyphomicrobium VS could use DMS, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), methanol, formaldehyde, formate, and methylated amines as carbon and energy source. Carbon was assimilated via the serine pathway. DMS-grown cells respired sulfide, thiosulfate, methanethiol, dimethyldisulfide and dimethyltrisulfide. To test Hyphomicrobium VS for application in biofiltration of air polluted with volatile sulfur compounds two laboratory scale trickling biofilters with polyurethane and lava stone as carrier material were started up by inoculation with this bacterium. Both methanol- and DMS-grown cells could be used. Only a short adaptation period was needed. Short term experiments showed that high concentrations of DMS (1-2 mumol l-1) were removed very efficiently by the biofilters at space velocities up to 100 h-1.

Characterization of a methane-utilizing bacterium from a bacterial consortium that rapidly degrades trichloroethylene and chloroform

A mixed culture of bacteria grown in a bioreactor with methane as a carbon and energy source rapidly oxidized trichloroethylene and chloroform. The most abundant organism was a crescent-shaped bacterium that bound the fluorescent oligonucleotide signature probes that specifically hybridize to serine pathway methylotrophs. The 5S rRNA from this bacterium was found to be 93.5% homologous to the Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b 5S RNA sequence. A type II methanotrophic bacterium, isolated in pure culture from the bioreactor, synthesized soluble methane monooxygenase during growth in a copper-limited medium and was also capable of rapid trichloroethylene oxidation. The bacterium contained the gene that encodes the soluble methane monooxygenase B component on an AseI restriction fragment identical in size to a restriction fragment present in AseI digests of DNA from bacteria in the mixed culture. The sequence of the 16S rRNA from the pure culture was found to be 92 and 94% homologous to the 16S rRNAs of M. trichosporium OB3b and M. sporium, respectively. Both the pure and mixed cultures oxidized naphthalene to naphthol, indicating the presence of soluble methane monooxygenase. The mixed culture also synthesized soluble methane monooxygenase, as evidenced by the presence of proteins that cross-reacted with antibodies prepared against purified soluble methane monooxygenase components from M. trichosporium OB3b on Western blots (immunoblots). It was concluded that a type II methanotrophic bacterium phylogenetically related to Methylosinus species synthesizes soluble methane monooxygenase and is responsible for trichloroethylene oxidation in the bioreactor.

Structure of the porin from a bacterial stalk

The stalks (hyphae) of a prosthecate bacterium, directly sampled from the water surface of a hot pond, show extended regular patterns on their envelope in the electron microscope. Image processing revealed a structure of the crystalline complexes which is very similar to the gross morphology of the Escherichia coli porins OmpC and OmpF. The natural two-dimensional crystal of the outer membrane protein has p3 symmetry and a lattice constant of 7.95 nm. The three-dimensional structure of the stalk porin has been determined to an almost isotropic resolution of 1.7 nm. The reconstruction revealed a complex network of channels within the membrane matrix with a triplet of pores merging into a common outlet, similar to the structure of the E. coli porin OmpF in reconstituted membranes. In addition, a blindly ending pore exists which appears to be connected to the continuous pores via small channels. The significance of the regularly arrayed porin cylinders with respect to the shape and function of the stalks is discussed.

Growth of bacteria with dimorphic vegetative cell cycles

A mathematical model of the growth of bacteria with dimorphic cell cycles is described. In these bacteria motile swarmer cells differentiate to stalked reproductive cells and the proportions of these cell types change in a characteristic fashion during growth. The selection of parameters to fit the model to experimental data can result in the elucidation of the factors controlling the differentiation of swarmer cells.

The effect of pH on the selection of carbaryl-degrading bacteria from garden soil

At an alkaline pH and in an aqueous solution carbaryl hydrolyses to form 1-naphthol, methylamine and carbon dioxide, but it is much more stable at an acid pH. Soil perfusion column experiments indicated that the rate of carbaryl degradation at pH 6.0 to 7.0 was limited by the rate of chemical hydrolysis. Bacterial communities of at least 12 and 14 members were selected in continuous cultures using carbaryl as the sole carbon and nitrogen source at pH 6.0. These communities were supported by the slow formation of hydrolysis products and a carbaryl-degrading bacterium was not selected after greater than 2000 h. A bacterial community of at least eight members was selected using equimolar 1-naphthol and methylamine as its sole carbon and nitrogen source. In contrast, after a lag of between 10 and 50 days, soil perfusion column and continuous culture enrichments at pH 5.2 and 5.0, respectively, led to the selection of a Pseudomonas sp. which could utilize carbaryl as its sole carbon and nitrogen source.

Genetic manipulation of the restricted facultative methylotroph Hyphomicrobium X by the R-plasmid-mediated introduction of the Escherichia coli pdh genes

The inability of Hyphomicrobium X to grow on compounds such as pyruvate and succinate is most likely due to the absence of a functional pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex. Further support for this was sought by studying the effect of the introduction of the Escherichia coli pdh genes in Hyphomicrobium X on the pattern of substrate utilization by the latter organism. These genes were cloned by in vivo techniques using the broad-host range conjugative plasmid RP4::Mucts. Plasmid RP4 derivatives containing pdh genes were selected by their ability to complement a pyruvate dehydrogenase deletion mutant of E. coli, strain JRG746 recA (ace-1pd) delta 18. The plasmids thus obtained could be transferred through an intermediary host (C600 recA), selecting only for an antibiotic resistance coded for by RP4 and back into JRG746 or other E. coli pdh mutants, upon which they still conferred the wild type phenotype. Enzyme assays showed that the latter strains, when carrying plasmid RP4'pdh1 also possessed PDH complex activity. Conjugation between the auxotrophic E. coli JRG746 (RP4'pdh1) strain and Hyphomicrobium X on pyruvate minimal agar gave rise to progeny which, on the basis of its morphology (stalked bacteria), their ability to grow on C1-compounds and to denitrify (now also with pyruvate) were identified as hyphomicrobia. This Hyphomicrobium X transconjugant was also able to grow in minimal medium with succinate, but no other novel growth substrates have been identified so far.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Glyoxylate conversion by Hyphomicrobium species grown on allantoin as nitrogen source

Glyoxylate, formed as a result of allantoin degradation, is converted by Hyphomicrobium species to glycerate via tartronate semialdehyde. Glyoxylate carboligase and tartronate semialdehyde reductase, the two enzymes involved, are present only in cells grown on allantoin as nitrogen source.

Modulation of adenylate energy charge during the swarmer cycle of Hyphomicrobium neptunium

Adenylate energy charge was measured in the budding bacterium Hyphomicrobium neptunium through the course of the swarmer cycle. The energy charge was modulated, being low in swarm cells (0.64) and in cells initiating bud formation (0.57), an event which coincides with a round of DNA replication.

[Effector influence of oxygen-containing C1 compounds in the cultivation of the methanotrophic bacterial strain GB 25]

Addition of oxygen-containing C1-compounds to chemostat cultures of GB 25 increases both the yield of biomass and the specific growth rate. At optimum concentrations the catalytic activity of these compounds increases with increasing growth rates. Their influence on maintenance coefficients and maximum yield coefficients decreases in the order CH3OH greater than CO2 greater than HCOOH greater than HCHO. This result together with spectrophotometric NADH determinations suggests that the NADH pool determines the balance between the assimilatory and oxidative utilization of formaldehyde.

Novel peptidoglycans in Caulobacter and Asticcacaulis spp

Peptidoglycan sacculi free of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid were prepared from whole cells of four species of Caulobacter and two species of Asticcacaluis and from morphological mutants of Caulobacter crescentus and Caulobacter leidyi. Acid hydrolysates of the sacculi were analyzed quantitatively, and each of the hydrolysates was found to contain significant amounts of only five ninhydrin-reactive compounds: alanine, glutamic acid, alpha , omega-diaminopimelic acid, muramic acid, and glucosamine. Four types of peptidoglycans were distinguishable on the basis of the molar ratios among these five compounds. The respective ratios were as follows: in C. leidyi, 2:1:1:1:0.8; in Asticcacaulis biprosthecum, 1.7:1.6:1.1:0.7; in the cells of the remaining species, 2:1:1:1.2:0.8; and in stalks shed by the abscission mutant 2NY66, 2:1:1:1:1.67. Thus, in addition to some species differences among these caulobacters, it was found that the peptidoglycan sacculus of the stalked C. crescentus cell is chemically differentiated; the cellular peptidoglycan is richer in muramic acid than is the peptidoglycan of typical gram-negative bacteria, and the peptidoglycan of the stalk is correspondingly rich in glucosamine. Empirical formulas for the repeating units of the peptidoglycans have been inferred on the basis of the molar ratios of their amino components.

Methane-oxidizing microorganisms

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Attachment and Rosette Formation by Hyphomicrobia

The processes of reversible and irreversible sorption of Hyphomicrobium sp. strain ZV580 to solid surfaces was investigated with the use of swarmer cell populations. Various compounds and physical conditions were examined for their effect on the cell-cell interactions which lead to the formation of rosette-like cell aggregates. The monosaccharides galactose and mannose were able to completely inhibit rosette formation. Concanavalin A and chloramphenicol were also able to prevent rosette formation, and both trypsin and pronase caused the disassociation of rosettes. The results indicate that the adhesin is a glycoprotein or a peptido-polysaccharide and that the flagellum may act as a vehicle for the transport of this adhesin from the cell to a surface.

Metabolism of allantoin in Hyphomicrobium species

Hyphomicrobium species are able to use allantoin as a nitrogen source for growth. Allantoin is broken down to glyoxylate and ammonia by the consecutive action of allantoinase, allantoicase, ureidoglycolase and urease.

Respiratory ubiquinone-9 from Hyphomicrobium spec. Strain ZV 580

Ubiquinone-9, an ubiquinone with a side-chain containing 9 prenyl residues, was purified from Hyphomicrobium spec. strain ZV 580, and identified by thin-layer chromatography, UV spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The participation of the quinone in the reactions of the respiratory chain was established by observing its increasing reduction in a membrane fraction upon the addition of NADH, the exhaustion of oxygen, and in the presence of NADH plus cyanide. The degrees of reduction in these states matched those of the cytochromes b and c.

Respiratory systems and cytochromes in Campylobacter fetus subsp. intestinalis

Cell suspensions of Campylobacter fetus subsp. intestinalis grown microaerophilically in complex media consumed oxygen in the presence of formate, succinate, and DL-lactate, and membranes had the corresponding dehydrogenase activities. The cells and membranes also had ascorbate-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine oxidase activity which was cyanide sensitive. The fumarate reductase activity in the membranes was inhibited by p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate, and this enzyme was probably responsible for the succinate dehydrogenase activity. Cytochrome c was predominant in the membranes, and a major proportion of this pigment exhibited a carbon monoxide-binding spectrum. Approximately 60% of the total membrane cytochrome c, measured with dithionite as the reductant, was also reduced by ascorbate-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine. A similar proportion of the membrane cytochrome c was reduced by succinate under anaerobic conditions, whereas formate reduced more than 90% of the total cytochrome under these conditions. 2-Heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide inhibited reduction of cytochrome c with succinate, and the reduced spectrum of cytochrome b became evident. The inhibitor delayed reduction of cytochrome c with formate, but the final level of reduction was unaffected. We conclude that the respiratory chain includes low- and high-potential forms of cytochromes c and b; the carbon monoxide-binding form of cytochrome c might function as a terminal oxidase.

Timing of swarmer cell cycle morphogenesis and macromolecular synthesis by Hyphomicrobium neptunium in synchronous culture

The swarmer cycle of Hyphomicrobium neptunium consists of a temporal sequence of discrete developmental events. To time morphogenesis and to investigate modulations in macromolecular synthesis, we attempted methods for synchronous culture. During synchrony, swarmer maturation occurred over 32%, hyphal growth occurred over 36%, and bud maturation occurred over 32% of the time required to complete the swarmer cycle. Daughter cells were released after 265 min. Deoxyribonucleic acid replication was discontinuous, having a G1 period of approximately 180 min. In addition, ribonucleic acid and protein syntheses were depressed during the earlier phases of development.