Respiration-based investigation of adsorbent-bioprocess compatibility

BACKGROUND

The efficiency of downstream processes plays a crucial role in the transition from conventional petrochemical processes to sustainable biotechnological production routes. One promising candidate for product separation from fermentations with low energy demand and high selectivity is the adsorption of the target product on hydrophobic adsorbents. However, only limited knowledge exists about the interaction of these adsorbents and the bioprocess. The bioprocess could possibly be harmed by the release of inhibitory components from the adsorbent surface. Another possibility is co-adsorption of essential nutrients, especially in an in situ application, making these nutrients unavailable to the applied microorganism.

RESULTS

A test protocol investigating adsorbent-bioprocess compatibility was designed and applied on a variety of adsorbents. Inhibitor release and nutrient adsorption was studied in an isolated manner. Respiratory data recorded by a RAMOS device was used to assess the influence of the adsorbents on the cultivation in three different microbial systems for up to six different adsorbents per system. While no inhibitor release was detected in our investigations, adsorption of different essential nutrients was observed.

CONCLUSION

The application of adsorption for product recovery from the bioprocess was proven to be generally possible, but nutrient adsorption has to be assessed for each application individually. To account for nutrient adsorption, adsorptive product separation should only be applied after sufficient microbial growth. Moreover, concentrations of co-adsorbed nutrients need to be increased to compensate nutrient loss. The presented protocol enables an investigation of adsorbent-bioprocess compatibility with high-throughput and limited effort.

The nutrient removal and tolerance mechanism of a heterotrophic nitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas putida strain NP5 under metal oxide nanoparticles stress

The occurrence of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has raised great concerns about their adverse impacts on nitrification performance. In this study, a heterotrophic nitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas putida strain NP5 showed strong resistance against TiO₂ and NiO NPs. Under 5-50 mg/L NP stress, cell viability was still normal, and the final nutrient removal rates, always higher than 80%, were slightly inhibited. Correspondingly, the PO₄^3--P removal rates were almost the same as those observed in the control test. Although the enzyme assay demonstrated ammonia monooxygenase and hydroxylamine oxidoreductase activities markedly decreased caused by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level under 50 mg/L NPs stress. The total antioxidant capability of NP5 could eliminate excess ROS to maintain a balance between oxidants and antioxidants. Besides, in response to the escalating burden of NPs, strain NP5 tended to secrete more extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which could protect cell from being damaged by binding to ions and coating. Thus, the strong NP resistance of NP5 would help to overcome the vulnerability of the nitrification process in WWTPs.

Individual and combined contamination of oxytetracycline and cadmium inhibited nitrification by inhibiting ammonia oxidizers

Introduction

The large-scale development of animal husbandry and industrialization lead to more and more serious co-contamination from heavy metals and antibiotics in soils. Ecotoxic effects of residues from antibiotics and heavy metals are of increasing concern.

Materials and Methods

In this study, oxytetracycline (OTC) and cadmium (Cd) were selected as target pollutants to evaluate the individual and combined effects on nitrification process using four different soil types sampled from North to South China through a 56-day incubation experiment.

Results and Discussion

The results demonstrated that the contaminations of OTC and Cd, especially combined pollution had significant inhibitory effects on net nitrification rates (NNRs) as well as on AOA and AOB abundance. The toxic effects of contaminants were greatly enhanced with increasing OTC concentration. AOB was more sensitive than AOA to exogenous contaminants. And the interaction effects of OTC and Cd on ammonia oxidizers were mainly antagonistic. Furthermore, Cd contaminant (with or without OTC) had indirect effects on nitrification activity via inhibiting mineral N and AOA/AOB, while OTC alone indirectly inhibited nitrification activity by inhibiting ammonia oxidizers. The results could provide theoretical foundation for exploring the eco-environmental risks of antibiotics and heavy metals, as well as their toxic effects on nitrification processes.

Effect of metal and metal oxide engineered nano particles on nitrogen bio-conversion and its mechanism: A review

Metal and metal oxide engineered nano particles (MMO-ENPs) are widely applied in various industries due to their unique properties. Thus, many researches focused on the influence on nitrogen transformation processes by MMO-ENPs. This review focuses on the effect of MMO-ENPs on nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification and Anammox. Firstly, based on most of the researches, it can be concluded MMO-ENPs have negative effect on nitrogen fixation, nitrification and denitrification while the MMO-ENPs have no promotion effect on Anammox. Then, the influence factors are discussed in detail, including MMO-ENPs dosage, MMO-ENPs kind and exposure time. Both the microbial morphology and population structure were altered by MMO-ENPs. Also, the mechanisms of MMO-ENPs affecting the nitrogen transformation are reviewed. The inhibition of key enzymes and functional genes, the promotion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, MMO-ENPs themselves and the suppression of electron transfer all contribute to the negative effect. Finally, the key points for future investigation are proposed that more attention should be attached to the effect on Anammox and the further mechanism in the future studies.

Response of antioxidant defense to oxidative stress induced by H2O2 and NO in anammox bacteria

Exposure to the stressful environment results in excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in anaerobes, which causes deterioration of microbial activities in biological wastewater treatment systems. Although the genes involved in oxidative stress defense have been primarily identified in the genome of Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis (a typical anammox species), their function is still not verified. Therefore, the expression of putative antioxidation genes kat, sor, and sod in anammox bacteria was studied by in situ transcription and function validated by heterologous expression under the typical ROS (H₂O₂) and RNS (NO) stress. After H₂O₂ and NO additions, the genes involved in the anammox central metabolism (nirS, hzsB, and hdh) were immediately down expressed consistent with the decreased anammox activity. However, the expression of putative antioxidation gene kat did not rise when exposed to H₂O₂; whereas, its encoding protein KAT enhanced the antioxidant actively of anammox bacteria by H₂O₂ decomposition like the oxidoreductase enzyme catalase. The sod and sor gene were upregulated with NO treatment, and SOD and SOR can combine with NO and decrease its concentration efficiently. These confirmed the important role of kat, sod, and sor as ROS/RNS scavengers in anammox bacteria, with which anammox bacteria protect themselves when they are exposed to the stressful environment. These verified functional enzymes provide directions for the future regulation of anammox systems, which helps to mitigate the inhibitory effect of the stressful environment on anammox bacteria.

Regulation of heavy metals accumulated by Acorus calamus L. in constructed wetland through different nitrogen forms

Improving accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) by plants is an important pathway for constructed wetland (CW) to alleviate the environmental risks caused by their release. This study aims to regulate HMs (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd) accumulated by Acorus calamus L. in the sandy substrate CW with different nitrogen forms, including ammonia (NH₄⁺), nitrate (NO₃‾), and NH₄⁺/NO₃‾ (1:1) in synthetic tailwaters. In general, the removal efficiency of HMs by CW could reach 92.4% under the initial concentrations below 500 μg/L. Accumulation percentages of HMs in the shoots and roots of plants in CW with NH₄⁺ and NH₄⁺/NO₃‾ influents increased by 52-395% and 15-101%, respectively, when compared with that of NO₃‾ treatment. Influents with NH₄⁺ promoted plant growth of Acorus calamus L. and metabolic functions, such as carbohydrate metabolism/amino acid metabolism, related to HMs mobilization of rhizosphere bacterial communities, which might induce more organic acids and amino acids secreted by plants and microbes during their metabolic processes. These are the main reasons for the enhancive mobilization of HMs from their precipitation fractions and their uptake by plants in CW with NH₄⁺ treatments. Moreover, the enhancement of organics secreted from plants and microbes also led to the high denitrification efficiency and nitrogen removal in CW. Overall, this study could provide a feasible method for the enhancive accumulation of HMs by wetland plants via the regulation water treatment process to appropriately increase NH₄⁺ for CW.

Mechanism of action of nitrification inhibitors based on dimethylpyrazole: A matter of chelation

In agriculture, the applied nitrogen (N) can be lost in the environment in different forms because of microbial transformations. It is of special concern the nitrate (NO₃^-) leaching and the nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, due to their negative environmental impacts. Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) based on dimethylpyrazole (DMP) are applied worldwide in order to reduce N losses. These compounds delay ammonium (NH₄⁺) oxidation by inhibiting ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) growth. However, their mechanism of action has not been demonstrated, which represent an important lack of knowledge to use them correctly. In this work, through chemical and biological analysis, we unveil the mechanism of action of the commonly applied 3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole dihydrogen phosphate (DMPP) and the new DMP-based NI, 2-(3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-succinic acid (DMPSA). Our results show that DMP and DMPSA form complexes with copper (Cu²⁺) cations, an indispensable cofactor in the nitrification pathway. Three coordination compounds namely [Cu(DMP)₄Cl₂] (CuDMP1), [Cu(DMP)₄SO₄]_n (CuDMP2) and [Cu(DMPSA)₂]·H₂O (CuDMPSA) have been synthesized and chemical and structurally characterized. The CuDMPSA complex is more stable than those containing DMP ligands; however, both NIs show the same nitrification inhibition efficiency in soils with different Cu contents, suggesting that the active specie in both cases is DMP. Our soil experiment reveals that the usual application dose is enough to inhibit nitrification within the range of Cu and Zn contents present in agricultural soils, although their effects vary depending on the content of these elements. As a result of AOB inhibition by these NIs, N₂O-reducing bacteria seem to be beneficed in Cu-limited soils due to a reduction in the competence. This opens up the possibility to induce N₂O reduction to N₂ through Cu fertilization. On the other hand, when fertilizing with micronutrients such as Cu and Zn, the use of NIs could be beneficial to counteract the increase of nitrification derived from their application.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of adaptive response of anammox bacteria Candidatus 'Kuenenia stuttgartiensis' to Zn(II) exposure

Zn(II) is frequently detected in biological nitrogen removal systems treating high-strength wastewater (e.g., landfill leachate), yet the cellular defense strategies of anammox bacteria against Zn(II) cytotoxicity is largely unknown. To uncover survival mechanisms under Zn(II) stress, responses of enriched anammox bacteria Candidatus 'Kuenenia stuttgartiensis' under exposure of various levels of Zn (II) were investigated through metatranscriptomic sequencing. Although increasing Zn(II) levels (50, 100 and 150 mg/L) resulted in decreasing anammox activities (86.1 ± 0.8%, 66.1 ± 1.4% and 43.9 ± 1.5% of the control, respectively), the viable cells in anammox sludge remained stable. Candidatus 'K. stuttgartiensis' possesses a complex network of regulatory systems to confer cells with the ability against Zn(II) toxicity, including functions related to substrate degradation, Zn(II) efflux, chelation, DNA repair, protein degradation, protein synthesis and signal transduction processes. Particularly, in order to maintain Zn(II) homeostasis, Candidatus 'K. stuttgartiensis' upregulated genes encoding RND efflux family (czcA, czcB, czcC, kustd1923 and kuste2279) for exporting Zn(II) actively. These heavy metal exporting genes could act as "sentinel genes" to detect the initial stage of Zn(II) inhibition on anammox bacteria, which might be beneficial to develop a diagnostic approach to predict the risk of operational failure when Zn(II) shock occurs.

Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of metals on 1,4-dioxane degradation by four different 1,4-dioxane-degrading bacteria

This study evaluates the effects of various metals on 1,4-dioxane degradation by the following four bacteria: Pseudonocardia sp. D17; Pseudonocardia sp. N23; Mycobacterium sp. D6; and Rhodococcus aetherivorans JCM 14343. Eight transition metals [Co(II), Cu(II), Fe(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Mo(VI), Ni(II), and Zn(II)] were used as the test metals. Results revealed, for the first time, that metals had not only inhibitory but also stimulatory effects on 1,4-dioxane biodegradation. Cu(II) had the most severe inhibitory effects on 1,4-dioxane degradation by all of the test strains, with significant inhibition at concentrations as low as 0.01-0.1 mg/L. This inhibition was probably caused by cellular toxicity at higher concentrations, and by inhibition of degradative enzymes at lower concentrations. In contrast, Fe(III) enhanced 1,4-dioxane degradation by Mycobacterium sp. D6 and R. aetherivorans JCM 14343 the most, while degradation by the two Pseudonocardia strains was stimulated most notably in the presence of Mn(II), even at concentrations as low as 0.001 mg/L. Enhanced degradation is likely caused by the stimulation of soluble di-iron monooxygenases (SDIMOs) involved in the initial oxidation of 1,4-dioxane. Differences in the stimulatory effects of the tested metals were likely associated with the particular SDIMO types in the test strains.

Heavy metals in slag affect inorganic N dynamics and soil bacterial community structure and function

Heavy metal contamination of soil in the vicinity of mining sites is a serious environmental problem around the world when mining residue (slag) is dispersed as dust. We conducted an incubation experiment to investigate the effect of a slag containing high levels of Pb and Zn (62.2 and 33.6 g kg^-1 slag as PbO and ZnO, respectively, sampled from a site formerly used as a lead and zinc mine) on the nitrogen cycle when mixed with soil (0-0.048 g slag g^-1 soil). The nitrogen cycle provides many life supporting-functions. To assess the quality of the soil in terms of the nitrogen cycle we focused on the dynamics of nitrate and ammonium, and bacterial community structure and functions within the soil. After two weeks of pre-incubation, ¹⁵N-labeled urea (500 mg N kg^-1) was added to the soil. Changes in soil pH, the concentration and ¹⁵N ratio of nitrate (NO₃^--N) and ammonium, and bacterial relative abundance and community structure were measured. Results indicated that increasing the ratio of slag to soil had a stronger negative effect on nitrification than ammonification, as suggested by slower nitrate accumulation rates as the slag:soil ratio increased. In the treatment with the highest amount of slag, the concentration of NO₃^--N was 50% of that in the controls at the end of the incubation. Regarding the bacterial community, Firmicutes had a positive and Planctomycetes a negative correlation with increasing slag concentration. Bacterial community functional analysis showed the proportion of bacterial DNA sequences related to nitrogen metabolism was depressed with increasing slag, from 0.68 to 0.65. We concluded that the slag impacted the soil bacterial community structure, and consequently influenced nitrogen dynamics. This study could form the basis of further investigation into the resistance of the nitrogen cycle to contamination in relation to soil bacterial community.

Enhancement of the adaptability of anammox granules to zinc shock by appropriate organic carbon treatment

Heavy metals, which are commonly present in high ammonia-containing wastewater, can cause inhibitory effects to anammox reaction. This study proposes a novel approach to enhance the adaptability of anammox granules to heavy metal [Zn(II)] shock by organic carbon (sodium acetate, NaAc) treatment, paying special attention to optimization of the treatment dosage and duration. For granules treated with 200 mg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L NaAc for 2 d, the activity recovery (six cycles) efficiency after Zn(II) (40 mg/L) shock reached 127.4%. The extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production increased by 168% and heterotrophic bacteria mildly proliferated (increased by 14%) in such granules compared with the control. The dramatic recovery capacity was likely due to the entrapment and barrier function of EPS and the outer-layer proliferated heterotrophic bacteria. This finding offers a useful process to enable maximum adaptability of anammox granules from heavy metals shocks, allowing anammox technology to be more widely applied.

Comparison of the impacts of zinc ions and zinc nanoparticles on nitrifying microbial community

To understand the effects of metal ions and nanoparticles (NPs) on nitrifying bacterial communities, this study investigates the impacts of zinc (Zn) NPs, zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs and Zn ions on the nitrifying bacterial communities. Under low Zn concentration (0.1mgL^-1), the nitrification rate was promoted by Zn ions and inhibited by the two NPs, indicating that the toxicity of NPs was caused by the NPs themselves instead of the released Zn ions. Further analysis showed that both Zn NPs and ZnO NPs could result in substantial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the nitrifying bacteria community. The inhibition was strongly correlated with amoA gene expression, but not with the expression of hao and nxrA genes. These results indicated that the main difference of the Zn ions and Zn NPs on nitrifying bacterial community could be due to the different impacts on the ROS production and amoA gene expression. Collectively, the findings in this study advanced understanding of the different effects of Zn NPs, ZnO NPs and Zn ions on nitrifying bacteria.

Microbial community structure and activity in trace element-contaminated soils phytomanaged by Gentle Remediation Options (GRO)

Gentle remediation options (GRO) are based on the combined use of plants, associated microorganisms and soil amendments, which can potentially restore soil functions and quality. We studied the effects of three GRO (aided-phytostabilisation, in situ stabilisation and phytoexclusion, and aided-phytoextraction) on the soil microbial biomass and respiration, the activities of hydrolase enzymes involved in the biogeochemical cycles of C, N, P, and S, and bacterial community structure of trace element contaminated soils (TECS) from six field trials across Europe. Community structure was studied using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting of Bacteria, α- and β-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Streptomycetaceae, and sequencing of DGGE bands characteristic of specific treatments. The number of copies of genes involved in ammonia oxidation and denitrification were determined by qPCR. Phytomanagement increased soil microbial biomass at three sites and respiration at the Biogeco site (France). Enzyme activities were consistently higher in treated soils compared to untreated soils at the Biogeco site. At this site, microbial biomass increased from 696 to 2352 mg ATP kg^-1 soil, respiration increased from 7.4 to 40.1 mg C-CO₂ kg^-1 soil d^-1, and enzyme activities were 2-11-fold higher in treated soils compared to untreated soil. Phytomanagement induced shifts in the bacterial community structure at both, the total community and functional group levels, and generally increased the number of copies of genes involved in the N cycle (nirK, nirS, nosZ, and amoA). The influence of the main soil physico-chemical properties and trace element availability were assessed and eventual site-specific effects elucidated. Overall, our results demonstrate that phytomanagement of TECS influences soil biological activity in the long term.

Ecophysiology and Comparative Genomics of Nitrosomonas mobilis Ms1 Isolated from Autotrophic Nitrifying Granules of Wastewater Treatment Bioreactor

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), which oxidize ammonia to nitrite in the first step of nitrification, play an important role in biological wastewater treatment systems. Nitrosomonas mobilis is an important and dominant AOB in various wastewater treatment systems. However, the detailed physiological and genomic properties of N. mobilis have not been thoroughly investigated because of limited success isolating pure cultures. This study investigated the key physiological characteristics of N. mobilis Ms1, which was previously isolated into pure culture from the nitrifying granules of wastewater treatment bioreactor. The pure culture of N. mobilis Ms1 was cultivated in liquid mineral medium with 30 mg-N L^-1 (2.14 mM) of ammonium at room temperature under dark conditions. The optimum growth of N. mobilis Ms1 occurred at 27°C and pH 8, with a maximum growth rate of 0.05–0.07 h^-1, which corresponded to a generation time of 10–14 h. The half saturation constant for ammonium uptake rate and the maximum ammonium uptake rate of N. mobilis Ms1 were 30.70 ± 0.51 μM NH₄⁺ and 0.01 ± 0.002 pmol NH₄⁺ cells^-1 h^-1, respectively. N. mobilis Ms1 had higher ammonia oxidation activity than N. europaea in this study. The oxygen uptake activity kinetics of N. mobilis Ms1 were K_m(O2) = 21.74 ± 4.01 μM O₂ and V _max(O2) = 0.06 ± 0.02 pmol O₂ cells^-1 h^-1. Ms1 grew well at ammonium and NaCl concentrations of up to 100 and 500 mM, respectively. The nitrite tolerance of N. mobilis Ms1 was extremely high (up to 300 mM) compared to AOB previously isolated from activated sludge and wastewater treatment plants. The average nucleotide identity between the genomes of N. mobilis Ms1 and other Nitrosomonas species indicated that N. mobilis Ms1 was distantly related to other Nitrosomonas species. The organization of the genes encoding protein inventory involved in ammonia oxidation and nitrifier denitrification processes were different from other Nitrosomonas species. The current study provides a needed physiological and genomic characterization of N. mobilis-like bacteria and a better understanding of their ecophysiological properties, enabling comparison of these bacteria with other AOB in wastewater treatment systems and natural ecosystems.

Expression of the nirS, hzsA, and hdh Genes in Response to Nitrite Shock and Recovery in Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis

In this study, Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis were subjected to distinct nitrite shocks (66 (control), 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg N/L), and the responses of mRNA levels of cytochrome cd1 nitrite/nitric oxide oxidoreductase (nirS), hydrazine synthase (hzsA), and hydrazine dehydrogenase (hdh) were assessed. Changes in the hydrazine dehydrogenase (HDH) protein level were monitored. At 200 mg NO2(-)-N/L, the normalized specific anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing activity (nSAA) slightly increased relative to the control despite a significant decrease in nirS, hzsA, and hdh mRNA levels. When nitrite increased to 300 and 400 mg N/L, increased nirS, hzsA, and hdh mRNA levels were observed, but the nSAA decreased, relative to the 200 mg NO2(-)-N/L exposure. HDH protein detection revealed that Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis attempted to yield high enzyme levels by stimulating mRNA synthesis to resist the nitrite-induced stress. On 500 mg NO2(-)-N/L shock, the nirS, hzsA, and hdh mRNA levels decreased, alongside decreased nSAA and HDH levels. Although the mRNA levels did not always coincide with activities, our findings advance understanding of the mechanisms that anammox bacteria use to cope with nitrite inhibition at the transcriptional and translational levels, which will improve the diagnostic accuracy of bioreactor failures when nitrite accumulation occurs.

Physiological and transcriptional responses of Nitrosomonas europaea to TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles and their mixtures

The short-term combined effects of two most extensively used nanoparticles (NPs) TiO2 NPs (n-TiO2) and ZnO NPs (n-ZnO) versus their individual cytotoxicities on a model ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, Nitrosomonas europaea, were investigated at both physiological and transcriptional levels. n-ZnO exerted more serious impairment effects on cell morphology, cell density, membrane integrity, and ammonia monooxygenase activity than n-TiO2. However, the co-existing n-TiO2 displayed a dose-dependent mitigation effect on n-ZnO cytotoxicity. Consistently, the n-TiO2 and n-ZnO mixture-impacted global transcriptional expression profile, obtained with the whole-genome microarray technique, was more comparable to the n-TiO2-impacted one than that impacted by n-ZnO. The expressions of numerous genes associated with heavy metal scavenging, DNA repair, and oxidative stress response were less up-regulated under the binary impacts of NP mixture than n-ZnO. Moreover, only n-ZnO alone stimulated the up-regulations of heavy metal resistance genes, which further implied the capacity of co-existing n-TiO2 to alleviate n-ZnO cytotoxicity. In addition, the damage of cell membrane structures and the suppression of cell membrane biogenesis-related gene expressions under the influence of either individual NPs or their combinations strongly suggested that the interruption of cell membranes and the associated metabolic activities would probably be one of NPs' critical cytotoxicity mechanisms.

Use of functional gene expression and respirometry to study wastewater nitrification activity after exposure to low doses of copper

Autotrophic nitrification in biological nitrogen removal systems has been shown to be sensitive to the presence of heavy metals in wastewater treatment plants. Using transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) data, we examined the effect of copper on the relative expression of functional genes (i.e., amoA, hao, nirK, and norB) involved in redox nitrogen transformation in batch enrichment cultures obtained from a nitrifying bioreactor operated as a continuous reactor (24-h hydraulic retention time). 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene next-generation sequencing showed that Nitrosomonas-like populations represented 60-70% of the bacterial community, while other nitrifiers represented <5%. We observed a strong correspondence between the relative expression of amoA and hao and ammonia removal in the bioreactor. There were no considerable changes in the transcript levels of amoA, hao, nirK, and norB for nitrifying samples exposed to copper dosages ranging from 0.01 to 10 mg/L for a period of 12 h. Similar results were obtained when ammonia oxidation activity was measured via specific oxygen uptake rate (sOUR). The lack of nitrification inhibition by copper at doses lower than 10 mg/L may be attributed to the role of copper as cofactor for ammonia monooxygenase or to the sub-inhibitory concentrations of copper used in this study. Overall, these results demonstrate the use of molecular methods combined with conventional respirometry assays to better understand the response of wastewater nitrifying systems to the presence of copper.

Impact of Heavy Metals on Transcriptional and Physiological Activity of Nitrifying Bacteria

Heavy metals can inhibit nitrification, a key process for nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment. The transcriptional responses of amoA, hao, nirK, and norB were measured in conjunction with specific oxygen uptake rate (sOUR) for nitrifying enrichment cultures exposed to different metals (Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II)). There was significant decrease in sOUR with increasing concentrations for Ni(II) (0.03-3 mg/L), Zn(II) (0.1-10 mg/L), and Cd(II) (0.03-1 mg/L) (p < 0.05). However, no considerable changes in sOUR were observed with Pb(II) (1-100 mg/L), except at a dosage of 1000 mg/L causing 84% inhibition. Based on RT-qPCR data, the transcript levels of amoA and hao decreased when exposed to Ni(II) dosages. Slight up-regulation of amoA, hao, and nirK (0.5-1.5-fold) occurred after exposure to 0.3-3 mg/L Zn(II), although their expression decreased for 10 mg/L Zn(II). With the exception of 1000 mg/L Pb(II), stimulation of all genes occurred on Cd(II) and Pb(II) exposure. While overall the results show that RNA-based function-specific assays can be used as potential surrogates for measuring nitrification activity, the degree of inhibition inferred from sOUR and gene transcription is different. We suggest that variations in transcription of functional genes may supplement sOUR based assays as early warning indicators of upsets in nitrification.

Response of ammonia oxidizing bacteria and archaea to acute zinc stress and different moisture regimes in soil

Ammonia oxidation has been intensively studied for its sensitivity to environmental shifts and stresses. However, acute stress effects on the occurrence and composition of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) based on expression of related molecular markers in complex soil environments have been to an extent overlooked, particularly concerning transient but commonly occurring environmental changes like soil moisture shifts. The present study investigates the responses of AOB and AOA to moisture shifts and high Zn soil content. AmoA gene copies and transcripts of AOB and AOA along with potential nitrification activity were measured in a soil microcosm approach for investigating the referred environmental shifts. Moisture change from 87 to 50 % of the water holding capacity caused a ~99 % reduction of AOB but not of AOA amoA transcripts that did not change significantly. Increasing applied zinc concentrations resulted in a reduction of potential nitrification rates and negatively affected studied gene expressions of both AOB and AOA, with AOB being more responsive. Both 16 S rRNA and amoA transcripts of AOB had an inverse relation to the applied zinc, indicating a gradual loss in total cell activity. Our results suggest the existence of pronounced differences between AOB and AOA concerning ammonia oxidation activity.

Acclimation and activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria with respect to variations in zinc concentration, temperature, and microbial population

Activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to simultaneous variation in Zn(2+) concentration (0.01-3.5mg/L), temperature (23-33°C), and AOB concentration (3-30 × 10(6)gene copies/mL) in a steel industry wastewater treatment plant was evaluated. Two equations were developed to describe the lag period (i.e., AOB acclimation) and ammonia oxidation rate (i.e., growth of the AOB) depending on the variables. AOB concentration and temperature both had significant effects on lag period and the ammonia oxidation rate. Zn(2+) concentration only had a significant effect on ammonia oxidation rate at 5% α-level. There was a significant interaction between AOB concentration and temperature for both lag period and ammonia oxidation rate. The effects of the variables were not significant when AOB concentration was higher than 2.0 × 10(7)copies/mL. There was no visible shift or changes in AOB communities based on DGGE analysis with amoA gene primers.

Candidate stress genes of Nitrosomonas europaea for monitoring inhibition of nitrification by heavy metals

Heavy metals have been shown to be strong inhibitors of nitrification in wastewater treatment plants. In this research, the effects of cadmium, copper, and mercury on Nitrosomonas europaea were studied in quasi-steady-state batch reactors. When cells were exposed to 1 microM CdCl2, 6 microM HgCl2, or 8 microM CuCl2, ammonia oxidation rates were decreased by about 90%. Whole-genome transcriptional and proteomic responses of N. europaea to cadmium were used to identify heavy metal stress response genes. When cells were exposed to 1 microM CdCl2 for 1 h, 66 genes (of the total of 2,460 genes) were upregulated, and 50 genes were downregulated more than twofold. Of these, the mercury resistance genes (merTPCADE) averaged 277-fold upregulation under 1 microM CdCl2, with merA (mercuric reductase) showing 297-fold upregulation. In N. europaea cells exposed to 6 microM HgCl2 or to 8 microM CuCl2, merA showed 250-fold and 1.7-fold upregulation, respectively. Cells showed the ability to recover quickly from Hg2+-related toxic effects, apparently associated with upregulation of the mercury resistance genes and amoA, but no such recovery was evident in Cd2+-exposed cells even though merTPCADE were highly upregulated. We suggest that the upregulation of merA in response to CdCl2 and HgCl2 exposure may provide a means to develop an early-warning indicator for inhibition of nitrification by these metals.

Genome-wide transcriptional responses of Nitrosomonas europaea to zinc

Nitrosomonas europaea, a Gram-negative obligate chemolithoautotroph, participates in global nitrogen cycling by carrying out nitrification and derives energy for growth through oxidation of ammonia. In this work, the physiological, proteomic, and transcriptional responses of N. europaea to zinc stress were studied. The nitrite production rate and ammonia-dependent oxygen uptake rate of the cells exposed to 3.4 microM ZnCl2 decreased about 61 and 69% within 30 min, respectively. Two proteins were notably up regulated in zinc treatment and the mRNA levels of their encoding genes started to increase by 1 h after the addition of zinc. A total of 27 genes were up regulated and 30 genes were down regulated. Up-regulated genes included mercury resistance genes (merTPCAD), inorganic ion transport genes, oxidative stress genes, toxin-antitoxin genes, and two-component signal transduction systems genes. merTPCAD was the highest up-regulated operon (46-fold). Down-regulated genes included the RubisCO operon (cbbO), biosynthesis (mrsA), and amino acid transporter.