Increased Respiration Through Cytochrome d Enhances Microaerobic N2Fixation in Klebsiella Pneumoniae

Nitrogenase activity was increased in a Klebsiella pneumoniae strain (FN27) producing higher amounts of cytochrome d than the wild-type strain. The increased production of cytochrome d in FN27 showed a positive effect on nitrogenase activity in cells cultured with glucose as carbon source at 1 kPa oxygen but a negative effect at higher O₂concentrations. In cells cultured with pyruvate as carbon source, FN27 expressed higher activity of nitrogenase at all oxygen tensions tested when compared to the wild-type strain. This analysis shows that the over production of cytochrome d terminal oxidase improves nitrogen fixation in certain culture conditions.