A Sulphate-Reducing Bacterium from the Sheep Rumen
Open Access
- 1 April 1960
- journal article
- Published by Microbiology Society in Journal of General Microbiology
- Vol. 22 (2) , 423-436
- https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-22-2-423
Abstract
SUMMARY: A spore-forming, mesophilic, sulphate-reducing bacterium has been isolated from the rumen of hay-fed sheep. The organism is an obligately anaerobic Gram-negative rod which, in the presence of sulphate and 0·1% yeast extract, used only L- or D-alanine, DL-lactate, pyruvate or formate, but not 47 other compounds tested, as hydrogen donor for growth. Under these conditions the sulphate could be replaced by sulphite or thiosulphate. The yeast extract was replaceable by ferrous sulphate + p-aminobenzoic acid + biotin. Evidence is presented that alanine and lactate are metabolized via pyruvate which breaks down to form acetate and formate, the latter then being metabolized to form CO2. The growth of the organisms was inhibited when the concentration of sulphide reached 6–7 μmole/ml. and the maximum dry weight was only 50–60 μg./ml. Washed suspensions of the organism in 2·0% yeast extract utilized gaseous hydrogen for sulphate reduction and H2: H2S ratios of 3·2–4·0 were obtained.Keywords
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