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The Influence of Sodium, Potassium, and Ammonium Ions on the Respiration of Azotobacter chroococcum as Related to the Composition of the Growth Medium
Author(s) -
Burns C. M.,
Harris John O.
Publication year - 1953
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1953.03615995001700030015x
Subject(s) - potassium , ammonium , chemistry , azotobacter chroococcum , sodium , respiration , inorganic chemistry , oxygen , composition (language) , biochemistry , nuclear chemistry , botany , horticulture , biology , inoculation , organic chemistry , linguistics , philosophy
Azotobacter chroococcum was able to grow in modified culture media deficient in potassium and sodium ions. Respiratory activity of the resulting cells in the presence of added potassium or sodium ions was influenced by the composition of the growth medium. Ammonium ions gave increased oxygen uptake regardless of the growth medium. When the cells were grown in ammonium‐Ashby's medium potassium stimulated while sodium retarded oxygen uptake. Cells harvested from the sodium medium exhibited decreased respiratory activity in the presence of potassium ions. Potassium stimulation of respiration of cells grown in the ammonium rich medium appeared to be of a general nature rather than specific for a single enzymatic process. The presence of potassium ions increased the rate at which the cells could adapt themselves to heterologous respiratory substrates.