• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.9-17
• /
• 2008

The presence of thiosulfate oxidizing bacteria was examined in rhizosphere soils of 19 economically important plant species belonging to 10 different families. The results showed that the thiosulfate oxidizing bacteria were present in all the tested rhizosphere soils, and the total 32 thiosulfate oxidizing bacteria were recovered. Furthermore, the biochemical characterization revealed that 56% and 44% of the isolates belonged to the obligate chemolithoautotrophs and facultative heterotrophs, respectively. The isolates ATSR15P utilized 19.17 mM of thiosulfate and accumulated 11.65 mM of sulfate in the medium. Concurrently, the decrease in pH of the medium was observed. This study comprehensively demonstrates that the active sulfur oxidation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the rhizosphere of crop plants in Korea.