Community Level Analysis: Genetic and Biogeochemical Approaches to Investigate Community Composition and Function in Aerobic Ammonia Oxidation

Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments

Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles have evolved molecular adaptations affecting their physiology, metabolism, cell signaling, etc. Due to their peculiarities in terms of physiology and metabolism, they have become good models for (i) understanding the limits of life on Earth, (ii) exploring the possible existence of extraterrestrial life (Astrobiology), or (iii) to look for potential applications in biotechnology. Recent research has revealed that extremophilic microbes play key roles in all biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature; thanks to it, nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms, which circulate among atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the role of extreme microorganisms in the N-cycle in extremophilic ecosystems, with special emphasis on members of the Archaea domain. Potential implications of these microbes in global warming and nitrogen balance, as well as their biotechnological applications are also discussed.

Annual nitrification dynamics in a seasonally ice-covered lake

We investigated the variability in ammonia oxidation (AO) rates and the presence of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria (AOB and AOA) over an annual cycle in the water column of a small, seasonnally ice covered, temperate shield lake. AO, the first step of nitrification, was measured in situ using ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium (NH₄⁺) at 1% and 10% of photosynthetic active radiation during day and at the same depths during night. AO was active across seasons and light levels, ranging from undetectable to 333 nmol L^-1 d^-1 with peak activity in winter under ice cover. NH₄⁺ concentration was the single most important positive predictor of AO rates. High NH₄⁺ concentrations and reduced chlorophyll a concentrations under ice, which favoured AO, were coherent with high nitrate concentrations and super saturation in nitrous oxide. When targeting the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene in samples from the photic zone, we found AOA to be omnipresent throughout the year while AOB were observed predominantly during winter. Our results demonstrate that AO is an ongoing process in sunlit surface waters of temperate lakes and at all seasons with pronounced nitrification activity observed during winter under ice. The combination of high NH₄⁺ concentrations due to fall overturn, reduced light availability that limited phytoplankton competition, and the presence of AOB together with AOA apparently favoured these elevated rates under ice. We suggest that lake ice could be a control point for nitrification in oligotrophic temperate shield lakes, characterized as a moment and place that exerts disproportionate influence on the biogeochemical behaviour of ecosystems.

Nitrosarchaeum koreense gen. nov., sp. nov., an aerobic and mesophilic, ammonia-oxidizing archaeon member of the phylum Thaumarchaeota isolated from agricultural soil

A mesophilic, chemolithoautotrophic, neutrophilic and aerobic ammonia-oxidizing archaeon, designated strain MY1^T, was isolated from agricultural soil. Microscopic observation revealed short, rod-shaped cells with a diameter of 0.3-0.5 µm and length of 0.6-1.0 µm. The isolate had no flagella and pili, and possessed no genes associated with archaeal flagella synthesis. The major membrane lipids consisted mainly of the glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids GDGT-0 to GDGT-4 and crenarchaeol. The major intact polar lipids (IPLs) were determined as hexose plus phosphohexose IPL and dihexose IPL. Strain MY1^T obtains energy by aerobically oxidizing ammonia and carbon by fixing CO2. An optimal growth was observed at 25 °C, at pH 7 and with 0.2-0.4 % (w/v) salinity that corresponds with its terrestrial habitat. The addition of α-keto acids was necessary to stimulate growth. The strain tolerated ammonium and nitrite concentrations up to 10 and 5 mM, respectively. The MY1^T genome has a DNA G+C content of 32.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that strain MY1^T belongs to the family Nitrosopumilaceaeof the phylum Thaumarchaeota, sharing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (96.6-97.1 %) with marine isolates of the genus Nitrosopumilus. The average nucleotide identity was 78 % between strain MY1^T and Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1^T, indicating distant relatedness. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic analyses, it was concluded that strain MY1^T belongs to the novel genus Nitrosarchaeum, under which the name Nitrosarchaeum koreense sp. nov. is proposed as the type species. The type strain is MY1^T (=JCM 31640^T=KCTC 4249^T).

Measuring nitrification, denitrification, and related biomarkers in terrestrial geothermal ecosystems

Research on the nitrogen biogeochemical cycle in terrestrial geothermal ecosystems has recently been energized by the discovery of thermophilic ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). This chapter describes methods that have been used for measuring nitrification and denitrification in hot spring environments, including isotope pool dilution and tracer approaches, and the acetylene block approach. The chapter also summarizes qualitative and quantitative methods for measurement of functional and phylogenetic biomarkers of thermophiles potentially involved in these processes.

Assessment of nitrogen and oxygen isotopic fractionation during nitrification and its expression in the marine environment

Nitrification is a microbially-catalyzed process whereby ammonia (NH(3)) is oxidized to nitrite (NO(2)(-)) and subsequently to nitrate (NO(3)(-)). It is also responsible for production of nitrous oxide (N(2)O), a climatically important greenhouse gas. Because the microbes responsible for nitrification are primarily autotrophic, nitrification provides a unique link between the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios have provided insights into where nitrification contributes to the availability of NO(2)(-) and NO(3)(-), and where it constitutes a significant source of N(2)O. This chapter describes methods for determining kinetic isotope effects involved with ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation, the two independent steps in the nitrification process, and their expression in the marine environment. It also outlines some remaining questions and issues related to isotopic fractionation during nitrification.

Molecular and biogeochemical evidence for ammonia oxidation by marine Crenarchaeota in the Gulf of California

Nitrification plays an important role in marine biogeochemistry, yet efforts to link this process to the microorganisms that mediate it are surprisingly limited. In particular, ammonia oxidation is the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, yet ammonia oxidation rates and the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) have rarely been measured in tandem. Ammonia oxidation rates have not been directly quantified in conjunction with ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), although mounting evidence indicates that marine Crenarchaeota are capable of ammonia oxidation, and they are among the most abundant microbial groups in the ocean. Here, we have directly quantified ammonia oxidation rates by 15N labeling, and AOA and AOB abundances by quantitative PCR analysis of ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) genes, in the Gulf of California. Based on markedly different archaeal amoA sequence types in the upper water column (60 m) and oxygen minimum zone (OMZ; 450 m), novel amoA PCR primers were designed to specifically target and quantify 'shallow' (group A) and 'deep' (group B) clades. These primers recovered extensive variability with depth. Within the OMZ, AOA were most abundant where nitrification may be coupled to denitrification. In the upper water column, group A tracked variations in nitrogen biogeochemistry with depth and between basins, whereas AOB were present in relatively low numbers or undetectable. Overall, 15NH4+ oxidation rates were remarkably well correlated with AOA group A amoA gene copies (r2=0.90, P<0.001), and with 16S rRNA gene copies from marine Crenarchaeota (r2=0.85, P<0.005). These findings represent compelling evidence for an archaeal role in oceanic nitrification.