Premium
Use of Streptomycin for Suppressing Blue‐Green Algal Nitrogenase Activity During the Assessment of Nitrogenase Activity in the Rice Rhizosphere
Author(s) -
Habte M.,
Alexander M.
Publication year - 1980
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/sssaj1980.03615995004400040020x
Subject(s) - nitrogenase , rhizosphere , oryza sativa , cyanobacteria , algae , heterotroph , streptomycin , biology , diazotroph , agronomy , botany , chemistry , bacteria , nitrogen fixation , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , biochemistry , genetics , gene
The addition of streptomycin at concentrations as low as 5 µg/ml to cell suspensions of blue‐green algae (cyanobacteria) or to blooms developing in a flooded soil caused greater than a 99% reduction in the nitrogenase activity of the cells in 24 to 72 hours. The antibiotic was not toxic to rice ( Oryza sativa L.) at 250 µg/ml, and the nitrogenase activity of heterotrophs developing in puddled soils previously planted to rice was not significantly affected by concentrations as high as 50 µg/ml. The nitrogenase activity of heterotrophs developing in flooded or puddled soils not previously planted to rice was sensitive to concentrations of the antibiotic exceeding 10 µg/ml. In experiments involving the assessment of nitrogenase activity in the rice rhizosphere, streptomycin at concentrations as low as 2.5 to 5.0 µg/ml effectively curtailed the interference from blue‐green algal activity.