Microbial metabolism of CO in culture and in soil

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5567724

Bartholomew, G W; Alexander, M

Nocardia salmonicolor readily oxidized CO to CO/sub 2/. Slight activity was found among species of Actinoplanes, Agromyces, Microbispora, Mycobacterium, and other nocardias, and no oxidation was detected in the algae, fungi, and other bacteria tested. Carbon monoxide was oxidized rapidly to CO/sub 2/ in the dark in two soils incubated in air or under flooded conditions, but little of the /sup 14/C from /sup 14/CO was incorporated into the organic fraction of these soils. The reaction was microbial because appreciable CO was not converted to CO/sub 2/ in autoclaved or gamma-irradiated soil. Heating the soil for 25 min at 70/sup 0/C destroyed its CO-oxidizing activity. The incorporation of /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ into the cells of microorganisms in soil and soil suspension was not enhanced by incubating the samples in the presence of CO, suggesting that CO oxidation was not the result of autotrophic metabolism. The oxidation of 17 ..mu..l of CO per liter in the head space was nearly complete in 6 h in soil incubated in air or anaerobically.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY
• OSTI ID: 5567724
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 37:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CARBON MONOXIDE
METABOLISM
BACTERIA
CARBON 14
CARBON DIOXIDE
CULTURE MEDIA
MICROORGANISMS
NOCARDIA
SOILS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
550700* - Microbiology
550500 - Metabolism