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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 1999, p. 1681-1687, Vol. 65, No. 4
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Diversity of Nitrous Oxide Reductase (nosZ) Genes in Continental Shelf Sediments

David J. Scala and Lee J. Kerkhof*

Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Cook College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901

Received 15 October 1998/Accepted 3 February 1999

Diversity of the nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) gene was examined in sediments obtained from the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean continental shelves. Approximately 1,100 bp of the nosZ gene were amplified via PCR, using nosZ gene-specific primers. Thirty-seven unique copies of the nosZ gene from these marine environments were characterized, increasing the nosZ sequence database fourfold. The average DNA similarity for comparisons between all 49 variants of the nosZ gene was 64% ± 10%. Alignment of the derived amino acid sequences confirmed the conservation of important structural motifs. A highly conserved region is proposed as the copper binding, catalytic site (CuZ) of the mature protein. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated three major clusters of nosZ genes, with little overlap between environmental and culture-based groups. Finally, the two non-culture-based gene clusters generally corresponded to sampling location, implying that denitrifier communities may be restricted geographically.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Cook Campus, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8521. Phone: (732) 932-6555 x335. Fax: (732) 932-6520. E-mail: kerkhof{at}ahab.rutgers.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 1999, p. 1681-1687, Vol. 65, No. 4
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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