Respiration of Amino Acids by Streptomyces nitrificans

Abstract

S. nitrificans was grown on urethan as the sole source of C, N, and energy, and on peptone, glycerol, and yeast extract as a more "normal" medium. Mycelia harvested from these 2 media oxidized glutamate most rapidly. Aspartate showed the next highest rate of oxidation, while glycine, alanine, and serine were utilized more slowly. The rate of O2 uptake with arginine was not appreciable. For all these amino acids, the QO2(N) values were less for cell material grown on urethan than for the mycelium produced in the medium containing peptone, glycerol, and yeast extract.