Urea production by Thiosphaera pantotropha and by anaerobic enrichment cultures from marine sediments

Abstract

The production of urea by Thiosphaera pantotropha was studied. Batch cultures were grown on acetate as energy source and with NO3− or O2 as terminal electron acceptor. Urea accumulated in the media during exponential growth in aerobic and anaerobic cultures of T. pantotropha. Urea production continued after the cells had entered the stationary growth phase. Bacterial ability to produce urea was supported by studies of cultures enriched for denitrifying, sulphate‐reducing and fermenting bacteria. The results implied that urea production was common among bacteria normally considered to be important in marine sediments.