Sulfite oxidase activity in Thiobacillus novellus.

Thiobacillus novellus shows a maximum induction of sulfite oxidase activity and a maximum growth rate as a result of supplementing the autotrophic growth medium with 4.0 microM ammonium molybdate. Cells grown in the presence of molybdate showed approximately 10-fold increases in the amount of enzyme-associated molybdenum and in the sulfite-to-cytochrome c and sulfite-to-ferricyanide reductase activities. The effect of exogenous molybdate was not discernible with cells grown in the absence of thiosulfate. Tungsten inhibited the growth of T. novellus and the expression of sulfite oxidase activity.