This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Trimmer, M.
Right arrow Articles by Deflandre, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Trimmer, M.
Right arrow Articles by Deflandre, B.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Trimmer, M.
Right arrow Articles by Deflandre, B.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2003, p. 6447-6454, Vol. 69, No. 11
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.11.6447-6454.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation Measured in Sediments along the Thames Estuary, United Kingdom

Mark Trimmer,* Joanna C. Nicholls, and Bruno Deflandre{dagger}

School of Biological Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom

Received 15 May 2003/ Accepted 11 August 2003

Until recently, denitrification was thought to be the only significant pathway for N2 formation and, in turn, the removal of nitrogen in aquatic sediments. The discovery of anaerobic ammonium oxidation in the laboratory suggested that alternative metabolisms might be present in the environment. By using a combination of 15N-labeled NH4+, NO3-, and NO2- (and 14N analogues), production of 29N2 and 30N2 was measured in anaerobic sediment slurries from six sites along the Thames estuary. The production of 29N2 in the presence of 15NH4+ and either 14NO3- or 14NO2- confirmed the presence of anaerobic ammonium oxidation, with the stoichiometry of the reaction indicating that the oxidation was coupled to the reduction of NO2-. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation proceeded at equal rates via either the direct reduction of NO2- or indirect reduction, following the initial reduction of NO3-. Whether NO2- was directly present at 800 µM or it accumulated at 3 to 20 µM (from the reduction of NO3-), the rate of 29N2 formation was not affected, which suggested that anaerobic ammonium oxidation was saturated at low concentrations of NO2-. We observed a shift in the significance of anaerobic ammonium oxidation to N2 formation relative to denitrification, from 8% near the head of the estuary to less than 1% at the coast. The relative importance of anaerobic ammonium oxidation was positively correlated (P < 0.05) with sediment organic content. This report of anaerobic ammonium oxidation in organically enriched estuarine sediments, though in contrast to a recent report on continental shelf sediments, confirms the presence of this novel metabolism in another aquatic sediment system.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Biological Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 (0)20 7882 3007. Fax: 44 (0)20 8983 0973. E-mail: m.trimmer{at}qmul.ac.uk.

{dagger} Present address: Laboratoire de Géochimie des Eaux, Université Denis Diderot Paris 7 and Institut Physique du Globe de Paris, Paris, France.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2003, p. 6447-6454, Vol. 69, No. 11
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.11.6447-6454.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Dong, L. F., Smith, C. J., Papaspyrou, S., Stott, A., Osborn, A. M., Nedwell, D. B. (2009). Changes in Benthic Denitrification, Nitrate Ammonification, and Anammox Process Rates and Nitrate and Nitrite Reductase Gene Abundances along an Estuarine Nutrient Gradient (the Colne Estuary, United Kingdom). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 3171-3179 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Woebken, D., Fuchs, B. M., Kuypers, M. M. M., Amann, R. (2007). Potential Interactions of Particle-Associated Anammox Bacteria with Bacterial and Archaeal Partners in the Namibian Upwelling System. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 4648-4657 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Penton, C. R., Devol, A. H., Tiedje, J. M. (2006). Molecular evidence for the broad distribution of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in freshwater and marine sediments.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6829-6832 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tal, Y., Watts, J. E. M., Schreier, H. J. (2006). Anaerobic Ammonium-Oxidizing (Anammox) Bacteria and Associated Activity in Fixed-Film Biofilters of a Marine Recirculating Aquaculture System. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 2896-2904 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Meyer, R. L., Risgaard-Petersen, N., Allen, D. E. (2005). Correlation between Anammox Activity and Microscale Distribution of Nitrite in a Subtropical Mangrove Sediment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6142-6149 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kuypers, M. M. M., Lavik, G., Woebken, D., Schmid, M., Fuchs, B. M., Amann, R., Jorgensen, B. B., Jetten, M. S. M. (2005). From The Cover: Massive nitrogen loss from the Benguela upwelling system through anaerobic ammonium oxidation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 6478-6483 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schmid, M. C., Maas, B., Dapena, A., van de Pas-Schoonen, K., van de Vossenberg, J., Kartal, B., van Niftrik, L., Schmidt, I., Cirpus, I., Kuenen, J. G., Wagner, M., Sinninghe Damste, J. S., Kuypers, M., Revsbech, N. P., Mendez, R., Jetten, M. S. M., Strous, M. (2005). Biomarkers for In Situ Detection of Anaerobic Ammonium-Oxidizing (Anammox) Bacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 1677-1684 [Full Text]  
  • Trimmer, M., Nicholls, J. C., Morley, N., Davies, C. A., Aldridge, J. (2005). Biphasic Behavior of Anammox Regulated by Nitrite and Nitrate in an Estuarine Sediment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 1923-1930 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»