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Studies on the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

V. Factors affecting growth in siquid culture and development of colonies on solid media containing inorganic sulphur compounds

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Abstract

Thiobacillus ferrooxidans originally cultured on ferrous iron can adapt to grow on thiosulphate, tetrathionate, trithionate or sulphur in liquid media. In unneutralized cultures (initial pH 4–4.4) mean doubling times on thiosulphate were 8.5–13 h and on tetrathionate was about 10 h. In pH-controlled cultures, growth on thiosulphate commenced at pH values from pH 3.6–4.7, with no growth in media initially below pH 3.5 or above pH 4.8. On tetrathionate, growth commenced between pH 1.5–4.3, with no growth below pH 1.3 or above pH 4.4. Growth rate was maximal (μ = 0.043 h-1) on thiosulphate at pH 3.6 and on tetrathionate at pH 2.5 (μ = 0.05 h-1). Growth yields of about 5.9 g (210 mmoles CO2 fixed) and 9.8 g (350 mmoles CO2 fixed) dry wt per gram-molecule were obtained respectively on thiosulphate and tetrathionate. Bacteria grown on thiosulphate or tetrathionate could produce colonies on ferrous iron agar, but this ability declined on prolonged culture on sulphur compounds. All the cultures grown on various inorganic sulphur compounds were capable of re-adapting to growth on iron. This was investigated in detail. About 66–82% of iron-grown organisms readily produced colonies on tetrathionate, but only about 1 in 109 produced colonies on thiosulphate.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Queen Elizabeth College, London

    Olli H. Tuovinen & Donovan P. Kelly

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  1. Olli H. Tuovinen
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  2. Donovan P. Kelly
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Dedicated to the memory of a great man: Wolf Vishniac († December 10, 1973).

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Tuovinen, O.H., Kelly, D.P. Studies on the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans . Arch. Microbiol. 98, 351–364 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425295

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