Applied and Environmental Microbiology-1991-De Boer-3600.full

Applied and Environmental Microbiology-1991-De Boer-3600.fullAPPLIEDANDENVIRONMENTALMICROBIOLOGY,Dec.1991,p.3600-3604Vol.57,No.120099-2240/91/123600-05$02.00/0Copyright©1991,AmericanSocietyforMicrobiologyNitrificationatLowpHbyAggregatedChemolithotrophicBacteriaW.DEBOER,'*P.J.A.KLEINGUNNEWIEK,lM.VEENHUIS,2E.BOCK,3ANDH.J.LAANBROEK'InstituteforEcologicalResearch,P.O.Box40,6666ZGHeteren,'andLaboratoryforElectronMicroscopy,BiologicalCentre,UniversityofGroningen,9751NNHaren,2TheNetherlands,andAbteilungfurMikrobiologie,InstitutfurAllgemeineBotanikderUniversitatHamburg,D-2000Hamburg52,Germany3Received23July1991/Accepted28September1991Astudywasperformedtogaininsightintothemechanismofacid-tolerant,chemolithotrophicnitrification.MicroorganismsthatnitrifiedatpH4wereenrichedfromtwoDutchacidsoils.Nitrateproductionintheenrichmentcultureswasindicatedtobeofachemolithoautotrophicnatureasitwas(i)completelyinhibitedbyacetyleneataconcentrationaslowas1,umol/literand(ii)stronglyretardedunderconditionsofcarbo