Ammonium production during the nitrogen-fixing process by wild Paenibacillus strains and cell-free extract adsorbed on nano TiO₂ particles

J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2010 Aug;20(8):1251-8. doi: 10.4014/jmb.1003.03002.

Abstract

During the nitrogen-fixing process, ammonia (NH₃) is incorporated into glutamate to yield glutamine and is generally not secreted. However, in this study, NH₃- excreting strains of nitrogen-fixing Paenibacillus were isolated from soil. The ammonium production by the Paenibacillus strains was assayed in different experiments (dry biomass, wet biomass, cell-free extract, and cell-free extract adsorbed on nano TiO₂ particles) inside an innovative bioreactor containing capsules of N₂ and H₂. In addition, the effects of different N₂ and H₂ treatments on the formation of NH₃ were assayed. The results showed that the dry biomass of the strains produced the most NH₃. The dry biomass of the Paenibacillus strain E produced the most NH₃ at 1.50, 0.34, and 0.27 micrometer NH₃/mg biomass/h in the presence of N₂ + H₂, N₂, and H₂, respectively, indicating that a combined effluent of N₂ and H₂ was vital for NH₃ production. Notwithstanding, a cell-free extract (CFE) adsorbed on nano TiO₂ particles produced the most NH₃ and preserved the enzyme activities for a longer period of time, where the NH₃ production was 2.45 micrometer/mg CFE/h over 17 h. Therefore, the present study provides a new, simple, and inexpensive method of NH₃ production.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Ammonia / metabolism
  • Hydrogen / metabolism
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism
  • Nitrogen Fixation*
  • Paenibacillus / isolation & purification
  • Paenibacillus / metabolism*
  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / metabolism*
  • Soil Microbiology
  • Titanium / chemistry

Substances

  • Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
  • titanium dioxide
  • Ammonia
  • Hydrogen
  • Titanium
  • Nitrogen