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J Bacteriol. 1961 December; 82(6): 823-827
Copyright © 1961, The Williams & Wilkins Company. All Rights Reserved.

EFFECT OF AMMONIUM ION ON GROWTH AND METABOLISM OF MICROCOCCUS SODONENSIS¹

^a Division of Bacteriology, American Meat Institute Foundation, and Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

ABSTRACT

CAMPBELL, J. N. (American Meat Institute Foundation, Chicago, Ill.), JAMES B. EVANS, JEROME J. PERRY, AND C. F. NIVEN, JR. Effect of ammonium ion on growth and metabolism of Micrococcus sodonensis. J. Bacteriol. 82:823–827. 1961.—When Micrococcus sodonensis was grown in a synthetic medium deficient in ammonia, large quantities of -keto acids, chiefly -ketoglutaric, accumulated in the medium. The addition of ammonium chloride to this medium prevented such accumulation and also supported increased growth, even in the presence of excess glutamate. Neither potassium nor sodium would substitute for ammonia in producing this effect.

The results indicate that this microorganism has a specific requirement for the ammonium ion in its growth and metabolism. If not supplied exogenously, ammonia is made available by deamination of glutamic acid. The exact route of incorporation of ammonia is unknown.

² From a thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree, Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago. Present address: Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

³ Present address: Department of Botany and Bacteriology, North Carolina State College, Raleigh, N. C.

⁴ Present address: Department of Bacteriology, University of Texas, Austin.

¹ Journal paper no. 220, American Meat Institute Foundation. This investigation was supported in part by a research grant (E-1951) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U. S. Public Health Service.