PHYSIOLOGY AND ENZYMOLOGY INVOLVED IN DENITRIFICATION BY SHEWANELLA-PUTREFACIENS

Nitrate reduction to N2O was investigated in batch cultures of Shewane lla putrefaciens MR-1, MR-4, and MR-7. All three strains reduced nitra te to nitrite to N2O, and this reduction was coupled to growth, wherea s ammonium accumulation was very low (0 to 1 mu mol liter(-1)). All S. putrefaciens isolates were also capable of reducing nitrate aerobical ly; under anaerobic conditions, nitrite levels were three- to sixfold higher than those found under oxic conditions, Nitrate reductase activ ities (31 to 60 mu mol of nitrite min(-1) mg of protein(-1)) detected in intact cells of S, putrefaciens were equal to or higher than those seen in Escherichia coli LE 392. K-m values for nitrate reduction rang ed from 12 mM for MR-1 to 1.3 mM for MR-4 with benzyl viologen as an a rtifical electron donor. Nitrate and nitrite reductase activities in c ell-free preparations were demonstrated in native gels by using reduce d benzyl viologen. Detergent treatment of crude and membrane extracts suggested that the nitrate reductases of MR-1 and MR-4 are membrane ho und. When the nitrate reductase in MR-1 was partially purified, three subunits (90, 70, and 55 kDa) were detected in denaturing gels, The ni trite reductase of MR-1 is also membrane bound and appeared as a 60-kD a band in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels after partial pur ification.