Open AccessEffect of mineral iron on the development of transformation competence in Azotobacter vinelandii
Author(s) -
Page William J.,
Grant Gregory A.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02207.x
Subject(s) - azotobacter vinelandii , siderophore , derepression , chemistry , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , biochemistry , bacteria , gene , nitrogen fixation , genetics , gene expression , nitrogenase , psychological repression
Azotobacter vinelandii was cultured with a number of chemical and mineral iron sources to achieve varied degrees of iron limitation and derepression or hyperproduction of siderophores. Although iron limitation is known to induce genetic competence in A. vinelandii [1], only a few of the mineral‐containing cultures became competent. The development of competence correlated with a transition to iron starvation and enhanced production of the yellow‐green fluorescent siderophore azotobactin. Competence was quickly lost in cultures where the induced siderophores promoted growth, which resulted in an inverse correlation between transformation frequency and increased cell protein content. These results suggest that A. vinelandii could become naturally competent in the soil, but that the duration of the competent period may be brief, and successful transformation is likely to be a rare event.