Kingdom Bacteria Class Gammaproteobacteria Family Pseudomonadaceae Rank Species | Phylum Proteobacteria Order Pseudomonadales Genus Azotobacter | |
Similar Azotobacter, Azotobacter vinelandii, Azospirillum, Azospirillum brasilense, Beijerinckia | ||
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.
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Characteristics
A. chroococcum is a microaerophilic bacterium, 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.
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.