EFFECT OF TUNGSTATE ON THE UPTAKE AND FUNCTION OF MOLYBDATE IN AZOTOBACTER AGILIS

Abstract

Bulen, William A. (Charles F. Kettering Foundation, Yellow Springs, Ohio). Effect of tungstate on the uptake and function of molybdate in Azotobacter agilis . J. Bacteriol. 82: 130–134. 1961.—The reported competitive inhibition of molybdate by tungstate was investigated in an effort to elucidate molybdenum functions associated with nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter agilis ( A. vinelandii ). Growth, respiration, and N 2 15 -incorporation experiments with normal and molybdenum-deficient cells indicated that tungstate inhibits the uptake of molybdate but does not compete with the metabolically functional molybdenum of cells metabolizing N 2 . Neither a molybdenum requirement nor a tungstate inhibition was observed with cells metabolizing urea.