Project description:N retention in soils can be stimulated by microorganisms carrying out dissimilatory reduction of nitrate to ammonia (DNRA), a respiratory activity that converts nitrate and/or nitrite to ammonia. Geobacter lovleyi has recently being recognized as a key driver of DNRA, providing a model to investigate the environmental signals that promote nitrate ammonification. Here we show that low nitrate concentrations (5mM) induce DNRA in G. lovleyi independently of the concentration of the electron donor, thus challenging the prevailing view that high carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio triggers this process. The nitrate transcriptome revealed a complex metabolic network of periplasmic (Nap) and cytoplasmic (Nar) nitrate reductase systems for the reduction of nitrate to nitrite. The transcriptome also included a canonical (NrfA-1), two Geobacter-specific nitrite reductases (NrfA-2 and NrfA-3) and a membrane-bound NrfH cytochrome, which electronically connects NrfA to the menaquinone pool. Flagellar motility and chemotaxis proteins were also among the most upregulated genes in the nitrate cultures, consistent with an adaptive response that allows Geobacter cells to sense and access the limited supply of nitrate in anaerobic zones of the soils and sediments. This is the first demonstration of the ability of the bacteria to use DNRA pathway under nitrate limiting conditions independently of the C/N ratio. G. lovleyi provides a model for study DNRA process and it is a good candidate that could contribute in the retention of nitrogen in soils leading to efficient use of nitrogen containing fertilizers and preventing nitrate leaching.
Project description:DNRA was limited by sulfide and nrfA abundance in sediments of Xiamen Bay where heterotrophic sulfide producing genus (Pelobacter) prevailed among DNRA bacteria
Project description:One of the most striking observations in the S. oneidensis genome regarding nitrate respiration is that napC is missing and nrfBCD is degenerated. To gain insights into candidate genes encoding the protein(s) in place of NapC and NrfBCD function, i.e., delivering electrons to NapA and NrfA, transcriptional profiling was carried out using the S. oneidensis whole-genome cDNA microarray. Cells of MR-1 grown on nitrate or fumarate under anaerobic conditions were sampled at the exponential phase for the analysis. The quality of the array data was statistically assessed using the method reported previously. Keywords: Compararive microarray study Compare transcriptional profiles of MR-1 grown on nitrate and Fumarate aiming at finding the electron transfer proteins to NapA and NrfA.
Project description:Acididesulfobacillus acetoxydans is an acidophilic sulfate reducer that can dissimilatory reduce nitrate to ammonia (DNRA). However, no known nitrite reductase is encoded. This study was performed to investigate how A. acetoxydans reduces nitrate to nitrite and elucidated a novel DNRA mechanism and potential nitrosative stress resistance mechanisms in acidophiles.