In Azotobacter vinelandii cells, the short-term inhibition of nitrogenase activity by NH4Cl was found to depend on several factors. The first factor is the dissolved oxygen concentration during the assay of nitrogenase. When cells are incubated with low concentrations of oxygen, nitrogenase activity is low and ammonia inhibits strongly. With more oxygen, nitrogenase activity increases. Cells in...

We have applied 57Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) for the first time to study the dynamics of Fe centers in Fe-S protein crystals, including oxidized wild type rubredoxin crystals from Pyrococcus furiosus, and the MoFe protein of nitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii. Thanks to the NRVS selection rule, selectively probed vibrational modes have been observed in both orient...

The crystal structure of the bacterioferritin from Azotobacter vinelandii has been determined at 2.6 A resolution. Both the low occupancy of one iron ion in the dinuclear iron center and the deviation of its adjacent residue His130 from the center suggest migration of the iron ion from the dinuclear iron site to the inner nucleation site. The concerted movement of His130 and Glu47 may admit a d...

In recent years, it has become evident that [Fe-S] proteins, such as hydrogenase, nitrogenase and aconitase, require a complex machinery to assemble and insert their associated [Fe-S] clusters. So far, three different types of [Fe-S] cluster biosynthetic systems have been identified and these have been designated nif, isc and suf. In the present work, we show that the nif-specific [Fe-S] cluste...

Nitrogenase was isolated and purified from wildtype and a tungsten-resistant mutant (LM2) of Azotobacter vinelandii strain OP derepressed on medium containing 1-10 mM W. While the enzyme from the wild-type strain contained the polypeptides of the conventional enzyme, metal analysis of component 1 demonstrated the existence of one atom each of molybdenum and tungsten. Furthermore, the ESR spectr...

Spontaneous mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii defective for glucose utilization were selected as resistant to 5-thio-D-glucose. Mutant strains AM2, AM38, and AM39 exhibited longer generation times than the wild type when grown on glucose. Mutant strain AM2 also exhibited an altered Km and Vmax for glucose uptake. During acetate-glucose diauxie, glucose utilization in the 5-thio-D-glucose-resist...

Cyst germination in Azotobacter vinelandii ATCC 12837 was studied by using phase contrast and electron microscopy. Germination in this organism was accompanied by the formation of large cyst forms of two different types: giant cysts and cysts containing multiple central bodies. Previously, these two types have been reported only when yeast extract was added to the encystment medium. In this stu...

conclusions: it was concluded that increasing the concentration of zinc in the agricultural soil is harmful to beneficial microorganisms and reduces the soil fertility. a 20-ppm zinc concentration in soil is suggested to be optimal. background: zinc is an essential micronutrient used in the form of zinc sulfate in fertilizers in the agriculture production system. nitrogen-fixing microorganisms ...

This study aimed to select and characterize bacterial strains with multiple plant growth promotion properties able to tolerate drought and salinity stress in order to improve plant growth performance under abiotic stresses. Plant growth promoting activities were evaluated in 106 bacterial strains isolated by soil, compost, lignocellulosic biomasses and food matrices. Two strains A. chroococcum ...

Asymbiotic and associative diazotropic bacteria such as Azotobacter and Azosprillum, respectively are widely distributed in different rhizospheric and nonrhizospheric soils and help in growth and development of plants. Sixty two soil samples were collected from different crop rotations namely Rice-Wheat, Vegetables, Agro forestry and Grassland from the districts Chandauli, Jaunpur,Ballia, Ghazi...