NH4 + transport system of a psychrophilic marine bacterium, Vibrio sp. strain ABE-1

NH₄ ⁺ transport system of a psychrophilic marine bacterium Vibrio sp. strain ABE-1 (Vibrio ABE-1) was examined by measuring the uptake of [¹⁴C]methylammonium ion (¹⁴CH₃NH^{3 +}) into the intact cells. ¹⁴CH₃NH₃ ⁺ uptake was detected in cells grown in medium containing glutamate as the sole nitrogen source, but not in those grown in medium containing NH₄Cl instead of glutamate. Vibrio ABE-1 did not utilize CH₃NH₃ ⁺ as a carbon or nitrogen source. NH₄Cl and nonradiolabeled CH₃NH₃ ⁺ completely inhibited ¹⁴CH₃NH₃ ⁺ uptake. These results indicate that ¹⁴CH₃NH₃ ⁺ uptake in this bacterium is mediated via an NH₄ ⁺ transport system and not by a specific carrier for CH₃NH₃ ⁺. The respiratory substrate succinate was required to drive ¹⁴CH₃NH₃ ⁺ uptake and the uptake was completely inhibited by KCN, indicating that the uptake was energy dependent. The electrochemical potentials of H⁺ and/or Na⁺ across membranes were suggested to be the driving forces for the transport system because the ionophores carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and monensin strongly inhibited uptake activities at pH 6.5 and 8.5, respectively. Furthermore, KCl activated ¹⁴CH₃NH₃ ⁺ uptake. The ¹⁴CH₃NH₃ ⁺ uptake activity of Vibrio ABE-1 was markedly high at temperatures between 0° and 15°C, and the apparent K _m value for CH₃NH₃ ⁺ of the uptake did not change significantly over the temperature range from 0° to 25°C. Thus, the NH₄ ⁺ transport system of this bacterium was highly active at low temperatures. Received: August 1, 1998 / Accepted: October 8, 1998