The utilisation of alkylated amines by marine bacteria

Six species of bacteria and a marine yeast which are able to use alkylated amines as a sole source of nitrogen have been isolated from marine mud and tentatively assigned to genera. One isolate (Micrococcus sp.) has been studied in greater detail. This organism has a constitutive ability to utilise trimethylamine and the lesser methylated amines as a sole source of nitrogen. Growth and metabolic studies suggest that the methylated amines are metabolized by a pathway involving a stepwise demethylation process. The implications of the results obtained on the route of regeneration and recycling of amine nitrogen in the marine environment is discussed.