THE INFLUENCE OF OXYGEN ON THE REDUCTION OF NITRATE BY ADAPTED CELLS OF PSEUDOMONAS DENITRIFICANS

Abstract

The reduction of nitrate by adapted cells of Pseudomonas denitrificans has been studied in relation to oxygen concentrations present in the surrounding fluid. No nitrate reduction occurred when oxygen was continually present even at very low concentrations. It appears that the competition between oxygen and nitrate for the donor electrons so favors the oxygen that nitrate reduction only occurs when the supply of oxygen is inadequate to meet the demand.