Carbonic anhydrase, carbondioxide levels and growth of Nitrosomonas

The ammonia oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea was grown either (a) with added bicarbonate in the absence of added CO2 (bubbled through the culture), (b) with added bicarbonate plus low added CO2 (0.03% v/v), or (c) without added bicarbonate with high added CO2 (1% v/v). Cell doubling times of 12 h were observed in 1% cultures; doubling times of 2 to 3-fold longer wre found with 0.03% CO2 and/or bicarbonate grown cultures. The specific activity of carbonic anhydrase was 40–80% lower in cultures grown on 1% CO2. These results are compared with those in heterotrophic and photosynthetic microorganisms.