Nutrients

Nutrients – are substances used in biosynthesis and energy production.
Nutrient Requirements:
Microbial cell composition shows that 95% of cell dry weight is made up of a few major elements: Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen,
nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron.
Macronutrients or macro elements:

These are required by microorganisms in relatively large amounts. Carbon, oxygen, hydrogen nitrogen, sulfurs and phosphorous
are components of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. The remaining four macro elements (K, Ca, Mg and Fe)
exist in the cell as cations.
K+ - is required for the activity by a number of enzymes, including those involved in protein synthesis.
Ca2+ - contributes to the heat resistance of bacterial endospores. 15% of spore contains dipicolinic acid and calcium.
Mg2+ - serves as a cofactor for many enzymes, complexes with ATP and stabilizes ribosomes and cell membranes.
Fe2+ and Fe2+ - part of cytochromes and a cofactor for enzymes and electron-carrying proteins.
Micronutrients or Trace elements:

These are manganese, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel and copper. These are normally part of enzymes and cofactors, and they
aid in the catalysis of reactions and maintenance of protein structure.
Zn2+ - is present at the active site of some enzymes but is also involved in the association of regulatory and catalytic subunits
in E.coli aspartate carbomoyl transferase.
Mn2+ - aids many enzymes catalyzing the transfer of phosphate groups.
Mo2+ - required for nitrogen fixation.
Co2+ - is a component of Vitamin B12.
Besides macro and micro nutrients, some microorganisms may have particular requirements that reflect the special nature of
their morphology or environment. Diatoms need silicic acid to construct their beautiful cell walls of silica. Bacteria growing in
saline lakes and oceans depend on the presence of high concentrations of sodium ion. Microorganisms require a balanced
mixture of all the above nutrients for proper growth.
Requirements for carbon, hydrogen and oxygen:

Carbon is needed for the skeleton or backbone of all organic molecules and molecules serving as carbon sources normally also
contribute both oxygen and hydrogen atoms. One important carbon source that does not supply hydrogen or energy is
CO2 . Autotrophs – can use CO2 as their sole or principal source of carbon. Many microorganisms are autotrophic, and most of
these carry out photosynthesis and use light as their energy source. Some autotrophs oxidize inorganic molecules and derive
energy from electron transfer. Heterotrophs – are organisms that use reduced pre-formed organic molecules as carbon sources.
Ex. Glycolytic pathway produces carbon skeleton for use in biosynthesis and also releases energy as ATP and NADH.
Actinomycetes will degrade amyl alcohol, paraffin and even rubber. Burkholderia cepacia can use over 100 different carbon
compounds. Some microorganisms can metabolize even relatively indigestible human-made substances such as pesticides.
Indigestible molecules can be oxidized and degraded in the presence of a growth promoting nutrient that is metabolized at the
same time, a process called Co-metabolism. The products of this breakdown can then be used as nutrients by other
microorganisms.
Nutritional types of microorganisms:

In addition to Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen all organisms require sources of energy and electrons for growth.
Carbon sources:
Autotrophs - CO2 sole or principal biosynthetic carbon source
Heterotrophs – reduced, preformed organic molecules from other organisms.
Energy sources:
Phototrophs – use light as their energy source.
Chemotrophs – obtain energy from the oxidation of chemical compounds (either organic or in organic)
Electron sources:
Lithotrophs – use reduced inorganic substances as their electron source.
Organotrophs – extract electrons from organic compounds.
Four major nutritional classes based on their primary sources of carbon, energy and electrons is known.
Phtotolithotrophic autotrophs or photoautotrophs or photolithoautotrophs:

Source of energy – light energy
Source of electrons – Inorganic hydrogen/ electron
Carbon source - CO2
Example: Algae, purple and green sulfur bacteria and cyanobacteria.
Photoorganotrophic heterotrophy or photoorganoheterotrophy:
Source of energy – light energy
Source of electrons – organic hydrogen/ electron
Carbon source – organic carbon sources (CO2 may also be used)
Example: Purple and green nonsulfur bacteria (common inhabitants of lakes and streams)
Chemolithotrophic autotrophs or chemolithoautotrophy:

Source of energy – Chemical energy source (inorganic)
Source of electrons – Inorganic hydrogen/ electron donor
Carbon source - CO2
Example: Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, hydrogen bacteria, nitrifying bacteria, iron-oxidizing bacteria.
Chemoorganotrophic heterotrophs or chemoorganoheterotrophy:

Source of energy – Chemical energy source (organic)
Source of electrons – Inorganic hydrogen/ electron donor
Carbon source – organic carbon source
Example: Protozoan, fungi, most non-photosynthetic bacteria (including most pathogens)
The most common nutritional types are photolithoautotrophs and chemoorganoheterotrophs. Bacteria Beggiatoa rely on
inorganic energy sources and organic (or sometimes CO 2) carbon sources. These microbes are sometimes called Mixotrophic
because they combine chemolithoautotrophic and heterotrophic metabolic processes.
Requirements for nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur:

Nitrogen is needed for the synthesis of amino acids, purines, pyramidines, some carbohydrates and lipids, enzyme cofactors and
other substances. Most phototrophs and many nonphotosynthetic microorganisms reduce nitrate to ammonia and incorporate the
ammonia in assimilatory nitrate reduction. A variety of bacteria like many Cyanobacteria and Rhizobiium can reduce and
assimilate atmospheric nitrogen using the nitrogenase systems. Phosphorous is present in nucleic acids, phospholipids, ATP,
several cofactors, some proteins and other cell components. All microorganisms use inorganic phosphate as their phosphorous
source and incorporate it directly. E.coli can use both organic and inorganic phosphate. Organophosphates such as hexose 6-
phosphate can be taken up directly by transport proteins. Other organophosphates are often hydrolyzed in the periplasm by the
enzyme alkaline phosphatase to produce inorganic phosphate which is then transported across the plasma membrane. When
inorganic phosphate is outside the bacterium, it crosses the outer membrane by the use of a porin protein channel. Sulfur is
needed for the synthesis of substances like the amino acids cysteine and methionine, some carbohydrates biotin and thiamine.
Most of them use sulfate as a source of sulfur and reduce it by assimilatory sulfate reduction; a few require a reduced form of
sulfur such as cysteine.
Growth factors:
Many microorganisms have the enzymes and pathways necessary to synthesize all cell components. Many lack one or more
enzymes and hence require organic compounds because they are essential cell components or precursors of such components and
cannot be synthesized by the organisms are called – growth factors. There are three major classes of growth factors:
Amino acids – needed for protein synthesis.
Purines and Pyramidines – for nucleic acid synthesis
Vitamins – small organic molecules that usually make up all or part of enzyme cofactors, and only very small amounts sustain
growth.
Knowledge of the specific growth factor requirements of many microorganisms makes possible quantitative growth response
assays for a variety of substances. The observation that many microorganisms can synthesize large quantities of vitamins has led
to their use in industry. Several water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins are produced using industrial fermentations.
Ribofalvin – Clostridium, Candida, Ashbya, Eremothecium
Coenzyme A – Brevibacterium
Vitamin B12 – Streptomyces, Propionibacterium, Pseudomonas
Vitamin C – Gluconobacter, Erwinia, Corynebacterium
β- Carotene – Dunaliella
Vitamin D - Saccharomyces

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Nutrients – are substances used in biosynthesis and energy production.

Macronutrients or macro elements:

Micronutrients or Trace elements:

Requirements for carbon, hydrogen and oxygen:

Nutritional types of microorganisms:

Phtotolithotrophic autotrophs or photoautotrophs or photolithoautotrophs:

Chemolithotrophic autotrophs or chemolithoautotrophy:

Chemoorganotrophic heterotrophs or chemoorganoheterotrophy:

Requirements for nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur:

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