Influence of nitrate and nitrite concentration on N2 O production via dissimilatory nitrate/nitrite reduction to ammonium in Bacillus paralicheniformis LMG 6934. 2018

Yihua Sun, and Paul De Vos, and Anne Willems
Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.

Until now, the exact mechanisms for N2 O production in dissimilatory nitrate/nitrite reduction to ammonium (DNRA) remain underexplored. Previously, we investigated this mechanism in Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus paralicheniformis, ubiquitous gram-positive bacteria with many industrial applications, and observed significant strain dependency and media dependency in N2 O production which was thought to correlate with high residual NO2- . Here, we further studied the influence of several physicochemical factors on NO3- (or NO2- ) partitioning and N2 O production in DNRA to shed light on the possible mechanisms of N2 O production. The effects of NO3- concentrations under variable or fixed C/N-NO3- ratios, NO2- concentrations under variable or fixed C/N-NO2- ratios, and NH4+ concentrations under fixed C/N-NO3- ratios were tested during anaerobic incubation of soil bacterium B. paralicheniformis LMG 6934 (previously known as B. licheniformis), a strain with a high nitrite reduction capacity. Monitoring of growth, NO3- , NO2- , NH4+ concentration, and N2 O production in physiological tests revealed that NO3- as well as NO2- concentration showed a linear correlation with N2 O production. Increased NO3- concentration under fixed C/N-NO3- ratios, NO2- concentration, and NH4+ concentration had a significant positive effect on NO3- (or NO2- ) partitioning ([N-NH4+ ]/[N-N2 O]) toward N2 O, which may be a consequence of the (transient) accumulation and subsequent detoxification of NO2- . These findings extend the information on several physiological parameters affecting DNRA and provide a basis for further study on N2 O production during this process.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009566 Nitrates Inorganic or organic salts and esters of nitric acid. These compounds contain the NO3- radical. Nitrate
D009573 Nitrites Salts of nitrous acid or compounds containing the group NO2-. The inorganic nitrites of the type MNO2 (where M Nitrite
D009609 Nitrous Oxide Nitrogen oxide (N2O). A colorless, odorless gas that is used as an anesthetic and analgesic. High concentrations cause a narcotic effect and may replace oxygen, causing death by asphyxia. It is also used as a food aerosol in the preparation of whipping cream. Laughing Gas,Nitrogen Protoxide,Gas, Laughing,Oxide, Nitrous
D010084 Oxidation-Reduction A chemical reaction in which an electron is transferred from one molecule to another. The electron-donating molecule is the reducing agent or reductant; the electron-accepting molecule is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Reducing and oxidizing agents function as conjugate reductant-oxidant pairs or redox pairs (Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982, p471). Redox,Oxidation Reduction
D001407 Bacillus A genus of BACILLACEAE that are spore-forming, rod-shaped cells. Most species are saprophytic soil forms with only a few species being pathogenic. Bacillus bacterium
D064751 Ammonium Compounds Inorganic compounds that include a positively charged tetrahedral nitrogen (ammonium ion) as part of their structure. This class of compounds includes a broad variety of simple ammonium salts and derivatives. Ammonium

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