Azotobacter chroococcum

Azotobacter chroococcum is a bacterium discovered in 1901 by Martinus Beijerinck, noted for his discovery of an infectious agent smaller than a bacterium which is responsible for tobacco mosaic disease, as well as his role in founding the field of virology. It has the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, and was the first aerobic, free-living nitrogen fixer discovered.[2]

Azotobacter chroococcum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Bacteria
Phylum:
Proteobacteria
Class:
Gammaproteobacteria
Order:
Pseudomonadales
Family:
Pseudomonadaceae
Genus:
Azotobacter
Species:
A. chroococcum
Binomial name
Azotobacter chroococcum
Beijerinck 1901[1]

Characteristics

A. chroococcum is a microaerophilic bacterium,[3] which is able to fix nitrogen under aerobic conditions. To do so, it produces three enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) to "neutralise" reactive oxygen species. It also forms the dark-brown, water-soluble pigment melanin at high levels of metabolism during the fixation of nitrogen, which is thought to protect the nitrogenase system from oxygen.[3]

Uses

Research has been carried out into A. chroococcum's potential applications in improving crop production. At least one study has so far shown a significant increase in crop production linked to the production of "auxins, cytokinins, and GA–like substances" by A. chroococcum.[4]

References
  1. Parte, A.C. "Azotobacter". www.bacterio.net.
  2. Beijerinck M. W. (1901). "Ueber Oligonitrophile Mikroben". Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene. Abteilung II (in German) (7): 561–582.
  3. Shivprasad S., Page W. J. (1989). "Catechol Formation and Melanization by Na+ -Dependent Azotobacter chroococcum: a Protective Mechanism for Aeroadaptation?". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 55 (7): 1811–1817. PMC 202955. PMID 16347974.
  4. Wani, Sartaj; Chand, Subhash; Ali, Tahir (29 August 2013). "Potential Use of Azotobacter chroococcum in Crop Production: An Overview". Current Agriculture Research Journal. 1 (1): 35–38. doi:10.12944/CARJ.1.1.04.


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