Sulfide alleviation of acetylene inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction by Flexibacter Canadensis

1992 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison M. Jones ◽  
Roger Knowles

The role of sulfide in the relief of acetylene inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction by Flexibacter canadensis was studied. In this organism, the reversal of acetylene inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction is correlated with a 90% decrease in the dissolved sulfide concentration. The fate of this sulfide is not known, since there was no concomitant increase in acid-soluble sulfide and volatile sulfur compounds were not detectable by flame photometric gas chromatography. Of the other sulfur-containing compounds tested (sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate, cysteine, methionine, dithionite, dithionate, and glutathione), only cysteine relieved the acetylene block of nitrous oxide reduction by F. canadensis. Under similar experimental conditions, other denitrifiers tested (Azospirillum brasilense, Pseudomonas stutzeri, and a Flavobacterium isolate) failed to reduce nitrous oxide in the presence of sulfide and an inhibitory concentration of acetylene. It is concluded that both biological and abiological factors contribute to the sulfide relief of acetylene inhibition of nitrous oxide by pure cultures of F. canadensis. Key words: denitrification, nitrous oxide, acetylene, sulfide, Flexibacter canadensis.

1990 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 430-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison M. Jones ◽  
Roger Knowles

Denitrifïcation was studied in pure cultures of Flexibacter canadensis (ATCC 29591), a Gram-negative gliding bacterium found in soil. Flexibacter canadensis was capable of using nitrate, nitrite, and nitrous oxide as terminal electron acceptors for growth. Sodium sulfide (200 μM) inhibited all of the nitrogen oxide reductases, but only temporarily. Acetylene (4 kPa) inhibited nitrous oxide reduction but did not affect the reduction of either nitrate or nitrite. However, sulfide (100 and 200 μM) alleviated the acetylene block and permitted reduction of nitrous oxide in the presence of 4 kPa acetylene. These data may have important implications regarding the use of the acetylene inhibition assay for measuring denitrifïcation rates in highly anaerobic, sulfidic environments. Key words: Flexibacter canadensis, denitrification, N2O reductase, sulfide, acetylene.


1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Schönharting ◽  
Ruxandra Rehner ◽  
Jörg W. Metzger ◽  
Karlheinz Krauth ◽  
Manfred Rizzi

A new mathematical model is presented which describes the denitrification process by dynamic material balance equations. In this approach the kinetic rate expressions of the single denitrification steps and the observed strong inhibition of nitrate on nitrite and nitrous oxide reduction are based exclusively on fundamental enzyme kinetics. This allows a prediction of the denitrification process in a wide range of wastewater-relevant nitrate concentrations. The model was successfully applied to the description of the kinetic behavior of a standardized denitrifying activated sludge system. Furthermore the experimentally investigated influence of hydrogen sulfide was quantified by extending the model with a non-competitive inhibition mechanism involving all steps of the denitrification process. The inhibitory effect was related to the free membrane-permeable hydrogen sulfide concentration. This means that the extent of its inhibition depends additionally on the pH-value. Even very low hydrogen sulfide concentrations lead to a strong inhibition of nitrous oxide reduction and therefore to a high release of nitrous oxide from wastewater treatment plants.


1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 1001-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Sørensen ◽  
Lone K. Rasmussen ◽  
Isao Koike

The influence of low sulfide concentrations on nitrous oxide (N2O) reduction by resting cells of denitrifying Pseudomonas fluorescens was studied. Nitrous oxide reduction was inhibited by sulfide with an apparent Ki value of 1 μM. The inhibition was immediate and was readily alleviated by a short treatment of the cells with O2. In the absence of sulfide, addition of acetylene (0.2 kPa C2H2 or more) caused an immediate and complete inhibition of N2O reduction. However, when the sulfide concentration was higher than 2 μM, addition of C2H2 (range of 0.7–13 kPa tested) gave incomplete inhibition of the N2O reduction. Complete inhibition was in this case only obtained after prolonged exposure to the C2H2. The transition period with incomplete C2H2 blockage was shortest (about 20 min) for relatively high C2H2 applications (about 10 kPa). Incomplete C2H2 blockage was seen only when sulfide was added to the cell suspensions before C2H2. The data may relate to the low efficacy of the "acetylene blockage technique" when the assay is applied to [Formula: see text]-deficient and reducing environments.


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