Chemoheterotrophic sulfur oxidising microorganisms of a Terai Soil. I: Oxidation of inorganic and organic sulfur by microorganisms, isolated in sucrose-sodiumthiosulfate agar

Summary Among twenty one chemoheterotrophic sulfur-oxidising microorganisms, isolated in sucrose-sodium-thiosulfate agar plates from a representative Indian Terai Soil — a Himalayan foot hill soil of the Order Mollisol ( Typic Haplaquept ). Thirteen isolates were bacteria, twelve belong to the genus Bacillus , and one to Micrococcus, three actinomycetes to the genus Streptomyces . Five isolates were fungi — two of the genus Penicillium , and three of the genus Aspergillus . Of these, the efficient sulfur oxidisers were Bacillus spp — TSB 5 and TSB 6 , Streptomyces sp. — TSA 1 , and Aspergillus spp. — TSF 3 and TSF 5 . In general, the oxidation by the isolates was essentially higher from the inorganic sulfur source, sodiumthiosulfate than from the organic sulfur source, L-cystine. The overall efficiency of the genera decreases in following order Aspergillus, Penicillium, Streptomyces, Bacillus and Micrococcus .