Influence of partial pressures of acetylene and nitrogen upon nitrogenase activity of species of beijerinckia

Acetylene reduction and nitrogen fixation by strains of Beijerinckia indicaand B. lacticogenes increased with increased partial pressures of acetylene and nitrogen up to 80 kPa. The optical emission spectrophotometric method was used for the determination of N: N ratios. The molar ratios of acetylene to nitrogen varied greatly from the theoretical value

Bacterial reduction of fensulfothion and its hydrolysis product 4-methylsulfinyl phenol.

Oxygen-limited cultures of Klebsiella pneumoniae reduced 4-methylsulfinyl phenol to 4-methylthiophenol. A study of the effect of 4-methylthiophenol on the growth of K. pneumoniae revealed that the specific growth rate was retarded by 40% in the presence of 200 micrograms of the phenol per ml. A soil bacterium, Hafnia sp., was isolated that could reduce the organophosphorus insecticide fensulfothion to fensulfothion sulfide