5 Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria: their biochemistry and molecular biology
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Djaber Tazdaït
Djaber TazdaïtSearch for this author in:Rym Salah-TazdaïtSearch for this author in:
Abstract
Nitrogen is naturally present in the environment in organic, inorganic, and gaseous forms. The reduced forms of nitrogen are used by nitrifying bacteria, which form a heterogeneous group comprising different genera and species highly specialized in nitrification. The ammonia oxidation by autotrophic nitrifying bacteria provides them with energy and produces nitrite, then nitrate. The best known and most studied representatives of nitrifying bacteria pertain to the genera Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, and so on, which oxidize ammonia to nitrite, and Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, and so on, which oxidize nitrite to nitrate. Most of these microorganisms are chemolithoautotrophic, with some exceptions which are mixotrophic such as Nitrobacter, which can use acetate as a carbon source. Besides, there is an anammox process in which there is anaerobic oxidation of ammonia combined with nitrite reduction. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge on bacterial ammonia oxidation research and focuses on discussing the biochemical, genetics, and regulatory aspects of the bacterial metabolism of ammonia.
Abstract
Nitrogen is naturally present in the environment in organic, inorganic, and gaseous forms. The reduced forms of nitrogen are used by nitrifying bacteria, which form a heterogeneous group comprising different genera and species highly specialized in nitrification. The ammonia oxidation by autotrophic nitrifying bacteria provides them with energy and produces nitrite, then nitrate. The best known and most studied representatives of nitrifying bacteria pertain to the genera Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, and so on, which oxidize ammonia to nitrite, and Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, and so on, which oxidize nitrite to nitrate. Most of these microorganisms are chemolithoautotrophic, with some exceptions which are mixotrophic such as Nitrobacter, which can use acetate as a carbon source. Besides, there is an anammox process in which there is anaerobic oxidation of ammonia combined with nitrite reduction. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge on bacterial ammonia oxidation research and focuses on discussing the biochemical, genetics, and regulatory aspects of the bacterial metabolism of ammonia.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of contributing authors VII
- 1 Anammox bacteria-mediated sewage treatment 1
- 2 Diversity and distribution of ammoniaoxidizing archaea in engineered and natural environments 15
- 3 Significant role of nitrogen cycle in wastewater treatment 31
- 4 Regulation and measurement of nitrification in terrestrial systems 55
- 5 Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria: their biochemistry and molecular biology 65
- 6 Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in wastewater 83
- 7 An overview of biochemical and molecular mechanism of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and their potential application in wastewater treatment 105
- 8 Diversity and environmental distribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria 121
- 9 Metabolism and genomics of anammox bacteria 139
- Index 159
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of contributing authors VII
- 1 Anammox bacteria-mediated sewage treatment 1
- 2 Diversity and distribution of ammoniaoxidizing archaea in engineered and natural environments 15
- 3 Significant role of nitrogen cycle in wastewater treatment 31
- 4 Regulation and measurement of nitrification in terrestrial systems 55
- 5 Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria: their biochemistry and molecular biology 65
- 6 Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in wastewater 83
- 7 An overview of biochemical and molecular mechanism of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and their potential application in wastewater treatment 105
- 8 Diversity and environmental distribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria 121
- 9 Metabolism and genomics of anammox bacteria 139
- Index 159