Respiration in Azotobacter vinelandii and its relationship with the synthesis of biopolymers

ABSTRACT

Azotobacter vinelandii is a gram-negative soil bacterium that produces two biopolymers of biotechnological interest, alginate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), and it has been widely studied because of its capability to fix nitrogen even in the presence of oxygen. This bacterium is characterized by its high respiration rates, which are almost 10-fold higher than those of Escherichia coli and are a disadvantage for fermentation processes. On the other hand, several works have demonstrated that adequate control of the oxygen supply in A. vinelandii cultivations determines the yields and physicochemical characteristics of alginate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Here, we summarize a review of the characteristics of A. vinelandii related to its respiration systems, as well as some of the most important findings on the oxygen consumption rates as a function of the cultivation parameters and biopolymer production.