Some Observations on the Nitrogen Metabolism of Rumen Proteolytic Bacteria

Abstract

SUMMARY: Isolates from the rumens of sheep of presumptively identified Bacteroides amylophilus, B. ruminicola, species of Bacteroides, Selenomonas, Butyrivibrio, Bacillus, Eubacterium, Clostridium and Gram-positive cocci were found to be proteolytic. Some of these strains also had exopeptidase and amidase activity, but significant deaminase activity was rare. Most of the strains preferentially utilized ammonia in synthesizing cellular constituents in media containing preformed amino acids. Few of the strains had urease activity.