Nitrogen fixation by Rhodopseudomonas p lustris OU 11 with aromatic compounds

Abstract: A purple non-sulfur anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas palustris (ATCC 51186; DSM 7375), grew fixing N 2 using aromatic ompounds as the sole carbon source/electron donor. Benzoate, cinnamate and benzyl alcohol were used as electron donors for N 2 fixation, while aniline and nitrobenzene supported poor growth under N 2 atmosphere (in the absence of any other combined nitrogen in the medium) but did serve as sole carbon source/e- donor in the presence of ammonium chloride as nitrogen source. Key words: Rhodopseudomonas palustris; Aromatic photometabolism; N 2 fixation; Nitrogenase/hydrogenas