Denitrification by Strains of Neisseria, Kingella, and Chromobacterium

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The information in the existing literature concerning the denitrifying capacities of certain species of Kingella, Chromobacterium, and Neisseria is ambiguous. Therefore, we used gas chromatography to obtain a better understanding of the capacities of strains of several species in these genera for dissimilatory nitrate and nitrite reduction under anoxic conditions. A strain of Kingella denitrificans used both nitrate and nitrite as electron acceptors for denitrification, as did strains of “Chromobacterium lividum” and Chromobacterium violaceum. In contrast, strains of four of the Neisseria species tested denitrified at the expense of nitrite, but strains of three species did not reduce nitrite. Only a strain of Neisseria mucosa used nitrate as an electron acceptor. Therefore, all strains tested were capable of denitrification. Where lapses occurred, it was the capacity for nitrate reduction that was missing, as in certain species of Alcaligenes. The lack of the ability to reduce nitrous oxide that is found in some Pseudomonas species was not observed in this study.