Nitrogen metabolism by the microbial flora of the rabbit caecum

Abstract

The dense microbial flora of the rabbit caecum consisted chiefly of bacteria (1011/g) with small numbers of yeast cells (106/g). Using strictly anaerobic techniques, 23% of the direct microscopic cell count was cultivated and 55% of the cultivatable bacteria utilized ammonia as the sole source of nitrogen. Ureolytic bacteria were isolated from the caecal lumen and mucosa and were identified as Bacteroides vulgatus, Clostridium clostridiiforme, Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. Ammonia assimilation by the bacterial flora of the caecum was by incorporation into α‐oxoglutarate catalysed by NADPH‐linked glutamate dehydrogenase. Copyright © 1985, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved