Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, key players in the nitrogen cycle, have been the focus of extensive research. Numerous novel species have been isolated and their growth dynamics were studied. Despite these efforts, controlling their growth to obtain diverse physiological findings remains a challenge. These bacteria often fail to grow, even under optimal conditions. This unpredictable growth pattern could be viewed as a survival strategy. Understanding this heterogeneous behavior could enhance our ability to culture these bacteria. In this study, the variation in the growth rate was quantified for the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas mobilis Ms1. Our findings revealed significant growth rate variation under low inoculum conditions. Interestingly, higher cell densities resulted in more stable cultures. A comparative analysis of three Nitrosomonas species showed a correlation between growth rate variation and culture failure. The greater the variation in growth rate, the higher the likelihood of culture failure.

中文翻译：

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培养物之间生长速率的差异阻碍了氨氧化细菌的培养

氨氧化细菌是氮循环的关键参与者，一直是广泛研究的焦点。许多新物种已被分离出来，并研究了它们的生长动态。尽管做出了这些努力，控制它们的生长以获得不同的生理发现仍然是一个挑战。即使在最佳条件下，这些细菌也常常无法生长。这种不可预测的增长模式可以被视为一种生存策略。了解这种异质行为可以增强我们培养这些细菌的能力。在本研究中，对氨氧化细菌运动亚硝化单胞菌 Ms1 的生长速率变化进行了量化。我们的研究结果表明，在低接种量条件下，生长率存在显着变化。有趣的是，细胞密度越高，培养物越稳定。对三种亚硝化单胞菌属物种的比较分析表明，生长速率变化与培养失败之间存在相关性。生长速率的变化越大，培养失败的可能性就越高。