Aspects of nitrogen fixation in Chlorobium

Abstract

Four strains of the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium were studied in respect to nitrogen nutrition and nitrogen fixation. All strains grew on ammonia, N2, or glutamine as sole nitrogen sources; certain strains also grew on other amino acids. Acetylene-reducing activity was detectable in all strains grown on N2 or on amino acids (except for glutamine). In N2 grown Chlorobium thiosulfatophilum strain 8327 1 mM ammonia served to “switch-off” nitrogenase activity, but the effect of ammonia was much less dramatic in glutamate or limiting ammonia grown cells. The glutamine synthetase inhibitor methionine sulfoximine inhibited ammonia “switch-off” in all but one strain. Cell extracts of glutamate grown strain 8327 reduced acetylene and required Mg2+ and dithionite, but not Mn2+, for activity. Partially purified preparations of Rhodospirillum rubrum nitrogenase reductase (iron protein) activating enzyme slightly stimulated acetylene reduction in extracts of strain 8327, but no evidence for an indigenous Chlorobium activating enzyme was obtained. The results suggest that certain Chlorobium strains are fairly versatile in their nitrogen nutrition and that at least in vivo, nitrogenase activity in green bacteria is controlled by ammonia in a fashion similar to that described in nonsulfur purple bacteria and in Chromatium.