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Home / Equine Research Bank / Appl Environ Microbiol / Nitrogen utilization in bacterial isolates from the equine c...
Applied and environmental microbiology1985; 50(6); 1439-1443; doi: 10.1128/aem.50.6.1439-1443.1985

Nitrogen utilization in bacterial isolates from the equine cecum.

Abstract: A total of 114 bacterial isolates were obtained from the cecal contents of two mature cecally fistulated horses on a habitat-simulating medium containing 40% energy-depleted cecal fluid. Of these isolates, 108 were maintained in pure cultures and were tentatively grouped on the basis of cell morphology and physiological characteristics. Gram-negative rods (50.9%), gram-positive rods (22.8%), and gram-positive cocci (21.9%) represented the largest groups isolated from these animals. Fifty isolates were tested for their ability to grow in media containing urea, ammonia, peptones, or amino acids as sole nitrogen sources. None of the isolates had a unique requirement for urea or ammonia since nitrogen derived from peptones, amino acids, or both supported growth as well as did ammonia or urea in a low nitrogen medium. Of the cecal isolates, 18% were able to use urea for growth, and 20.5% were able to grow with ammonia as the sole nitrogen source. All organisms grew in the experimental media containing peptones as the sole nitrogen source. Urease activity was detected in only 2 of 114 isolates tested. The inability of isolates to use urea or ammonia as nitrogen sources may have been a reflection of growth conditions in the habitat-stimulating medium used for isolation, but it could also suggest that many cecal bacteria require nitrogen sources other then ammonia or urea for growth.
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Publication Date: 1985-12-01 PubMed ID: 4091567PubMed Central: PMC238777DOI: 10.1128/aem.50.6.1439-1443.1985Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research discusses a study aimed at understanding the nitrogen utilization capabilities of various bacterial strains isolated from horse cecum. The findings indicate that while certain bacterial isolates could use urea and ammonia for growth, many of them appear to require other nitrogen sources for successful growth.

Study Approach and Initial Findings

  • The researchers obtained 114 bacterial isolates from the cecal contents of two mature cecally fistulated horses. These isolates were cultivated in a medium designed to replicate their natural environment.
  • Out of these, 108 isolates were successfully maintained under lab conditions and classified according to cell morphology and physiological traits. Majority of these were gram-negative rods, followed by gram-positive rods, and gram-positive cocci.

Nitrogen Utilization Tests

  • About 50 of these bacterial isolates were analyzed for their capability to thrive in media containing different nitrogen sources: urea, ammonia, peptones, or amino acids.
  • Interestingly, these bacteria demonstrated no unique requirement for urea or ammonia—nitrogen derived from peptones and amino acids appeared just as beneficial for their growth.
  • However, approximately 18% of the cecal isolates were able to use urea for growth, and 20.5% could grow with ammonia as the main nitrogen source.
  • All organisms seemed to grow well in media containing peptones as the sole nitrogen source.
  • The study also tried to detect urease activity (an enzyme that breaks down urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide), but only 2 out of 114 isolates exhibited this activity.

Result Interpretations

  • The findings suggest that the selected bacterial isolates’ apparent inability to use urea or ammonia as primary nitrogen sources might be a result of the specific conditions in the simulated habitat medium devised for the experiment.
  • Alternatively, this could also imply that many bacteria inside the horse’s cecum might depend on nitrogen sources other than ammonia or urea to grow.

Cite This Article

APA
Maczulak AE, Dawson KA, Baker JP. (1985). Nitrogen utilization in bacterial isolates from the equine cecum. Appl Environ Microbiol, 50(6), 1439-1443. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.50.6.1439-1443.1985

Publication

Applied and environmental microbiology
ISSN: 0099-2240
NlmUniqueID: 7605801
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 50
Issue: 6
Pages: 1439-1443

Researcher Affiliations

Maczulak, A E
    Dawson, K A
      Baker, J P

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Bacteria / growth & development
        • Bacteria / isolation & purification
        • Cecum / microbiology
        • Culture Media
        • Horses / microbiology
        • Nitrogen / metabolism
        • Species Specificity

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        Citations

        This article has been cited 3 times.
        1. Mok CH, Urschel KL. Amino acid requirements in horses.. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci 2020 May;33(5):679-695.
          doi: 10.5713/ajas.20.0050pubmed: 32164055google scholar: lookup
        2. Kalmokoff M, Franklin J, Petronella N, Green J, Brooks SP. Phylum level change in the cecal and fecal gut communities of rats fed diets containing different fermentable substrates supports a role for nitrogen as a factor contributing to community structure.. Nutrients 2015 May 6;7(5):3279-99.
          doi: 10.3390/n灓279pubmed: 25954902google scholar: lookup
        3. Mackie RI, Wilkins CA. Enumeration of anaerobic bacterial microflora of the equine gastrointestinal tract.. Appl Environ Microbiol 1988 Sep;54(9):2155-60.
          doi: 10.1128/aem.54.9.2155-2160.1988pubmed: 3190223google scholar: lookup
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