Thiobacillus tepidarius (type strain) was grown in microaerophilic conditions, on tetrathionate, thiosulfate or crystalline So. The rates of tetrathionate, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur (So) and sulfite oxidation of the different cultures were measured respirometrically, using exponentially growing cells, with an oxygen electrode. Cells growing on the three different sulfur compounds retain thiosulfate-, tetrathionate, and So-oxidizing activities (SOA), but lack respiratory sulfite-oxidizing activity. The SOA for all the cultures was almost totally inhibited by 50 μM myxothiazol, an inhibitor of the quinone-cytochrome b region, and by 10 μM of the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Tetrathionate- and thiosulfate-oxidizing activities were moderately and weakly inhibited by 50 μM totally inhibited (>95%) all respiratory activities. This study suggests that electrons released by So oxidation enter the respiratory chain in the quinone-cytochrome b region.