Effects of sodium nitrate and sodium acetate concentrations on the growth and fatty acid composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachiomonas submarina</Emphasis>

One isolate of Brachiomonas submarina was tested for its ability to grow heterotrophicly on 5 different organic compounds. Sodium acetate and glucose were found to be effective in supporting the growth. Sodium acetate was chosen as the organic nutrient to test the combined effects of organic and inorganic solutions on the growth and fatty acid composition of Brachiomonas submarina. The best growth rates were achieved at 3 mmol L⁻¹ CH₃COONa and 0.88 mmol L⁻¹ NaNO₃ in heterotrophic condition, and 4 mmol L⁻¹ CH₃COONa and 3.52 mmol L⁻¹ NaNO₃ in mixotrophic condition. The differences between fatty acid contents were significant. The total polyunsaturated fatty acids (T. P. U. F. As) varied from 55.79% to 67.72% in heteritrophic growth and from 52.39% to 65.55% in mixotrophic growth. It is concluded that CH₃COONa and NaNO₃ at 3 mmol L⁻¹ and 3.52 mmol L⁻¹ should respectively be used in order to achieve the highest growth rate and fatty acid content.