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

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2003, p. 3129-3136, Vol. 69, No. 6
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.6.3129-3136.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria along Meadow-to-Forest Transects in the Oregon Cascade Mountains

Department of Microbiology,¹ Department of Forest Science,² Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3804³

Received 13 November 2002/ Accepted 17 March 2003

Although nitrification has been well studied in coniferous forests of Western North America, communities of NH₃-oxidizing bacteria in these forests have not been characterized. Studies were conducted along meadow-to-forest transects at two sites (Lookout and Carpenter) in the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, located in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon. Soil samples taken at 10- or 20-m intervals along the transects showed that several soil properties, including net nitrogen mineralization and nitrification potential rates changed significantly between vegetation zones. Nonetheless, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the PCR-amplified NH₃ monooxygenase subunit A gene (amoA) showed the same DNA fragments (TaqI [283 bp], CfoI [66 bp], and AluI [392 bp]) to dominate 45 of 47 soil samples recovered from both sites. Two fragments (491-bp AluI [AluI491] and CfoI135) were found more frequently in meadow and transition zone soil samples than in forest samples at both sites. At the Lookout site the combination AluI491-CfoI135 was found primarily in meadow samples expressing the highest N mineralization rates. Four unique amoA sequences were identified among 15 isolates recovered into pure culture from various transect locations. Six isolates possessed the most common T-RFLP amoA fingerprint of the soil samples (TaqI283-AluI392-CfoI66), and their amoA sequences shared 99.8% similarity with a cultured species, Nitrosospira sp. strain Ka4 (cluster 4). The other three amoA sequences were most similar to sequences of Nitrosospira sp. strain Nsp1 and Nitrosospira briensis (cluster 3). 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis confirmed the affiliation of these isolates with Nitrosospira clusters 3 and 4. Two amoA clone sequences matched T-RFLP fingerprints found in soil, but they were not found among the isolates.

Technical paper no. 11,947 of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Thies, J. E. (2007). Soil Microbial Community Analysis using Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms. Soil Sci. 71: 579-591 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yeager, C. M., Northup, D. E., Grow, C. C., Barns, S. M., Kuske, C. R. (2005). Changes in Nitrogen-Fixing and Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterial Communities in Soil of a Mixed Conifer Forest after Wildfire. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 2713-2722 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jordan, F. L., Cantera, J. J. L., Fenn, M. E., Stein, L. Y. (2005). Autotrophic Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria Contribute Minimally to Nitrification in a Nitrogen-Impacted Forested Ecosystem. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 197-206 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rich, J. J., Heichen, R. S., Bottomley, P. J., Cromack, K. Jr., Myrold, D. D. (2003). Community Composition and Functioning of Denitrifying Bacteria from Adjacent Meadow and Forest Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 5974-5982 [Abstract] [Full Text]