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: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.
Project description:In this work, we evaluated the genetic stabilization process, of the intra- (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and interspecific (S. cerevisiae x Saccharomyces kudriavzevii) hybrids obtained by different non-GMO techniques, under fermentative conditions. Large-scale transitions in genome size, detected by measuring total DNA content, and genome reorganizations in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, evidenced by changes in molecular markers, were observed during the experiments. Interspecific hybrids seem to need fewer generations to reach genetic stability than intraspecific hybrids. The largest number of molecular patterns among the derived stable colonies was observed for intraspecific hybrids, particularly for those obtained by rare-mating in which the total amount of initial DNA was larger. Finally, a representative intraspecific stable hybrid underwent a normal industrial process to obtain active dry yeast production as an important point at which inducing changes in genome composition was possible. No changes in hybrid genetic composition after this procedure were confirmed by comparative genome hybridization. According to our results, fermentation steps 2 and 5 –comprising between 30 and 50 generations- suffice to obtain genetically stable interspecific and intraspecific hybrids, respectively. This work aimed to develop and validate a fast genetic stabilization method for newly generated Saccharomyces hybrids under selective enological conditions. A comparison of the whole stabilization process in intra- and interspecific hybrids showing different ploidy levels, as a result of using different hybridization methodologies, was also made.