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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1962 November; 10(6): 583-592

Continuous Culture of Ruminal Microorganisms in Chemically Defined Medium¹

II. Culture Medium Studies

Departments of Bacteriology and Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa

ABSTRACT

Ruminal ciliates have been grown in continuous culture in chemically defined media and in the absence of viable bacteria. Oligotrichic ruminal ciliates seem to require insoluble carbohydrates for growth; the holotrichic ciliates require soluble carbohydrates, but at low concentrations. Both groups of ciliates utilize amino acids as their principal nitrogen source when these are supplied in micromolar concentrations; at millimolar concentrations, amino acids are toxic, possibly from excessive ammonia formation arising from ciliate deaminase activity. Holotrichic ruminal ciliates are destroyed by overdeposition of amylopectin when glucose is present above 0.1% concentration in the medium. Ecological requirements of ruminal ciliates are also described.

¹ Journal Paper No. J-4389 of the Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa. Project No. 1357. Supported in part by funds provided by Regional Project NC-25.