Short-term ammonium inhibition of nitrogen fixation in Azotobacter.

Addition of NH4Cl at low concentrations to Azotobacter chroococcum cells caused an immediate cessation of nitrogenase activity, which was recovered once the added NH+4 was exhausted from the medium. In the presence of inhibitors of ammonium assimilation, such as L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine, L-methionine sulfone or 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine, externally added NH+4 had no effect on nitrogenase activity and the newly-fixed nitrogen was excreted into the medium as NH+4. It is concluded that, in A. chroococcum, NH+4 must be assimilated to exert its short-term inhibitory effect on nitrogen fixation.