Pacific northwest marine sediments contain ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the β subdivision of the Proteobacteria

• Published in: Applied and environmental microbiology Vol. 66; no. 10; pp. 4532 - 4535
• Main Authors: NOLD, Stephen C, JIZHONG ZHOU, DEVOL, Allan H, TIEDJE, James M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01-10-2000
• Subjects: Ammonia; Ammonia - metabolism; Ammonia monooxygenase; amoA gene; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Bacteria; Base Sequence; Betaproteobacteria - classification; Betaproteobacteria - genetics; Betaproteobacteria - isolation & purification; Biological and medical sciences; DNA Primers; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gammaproteobacteria - classification; Gammaproteobacteria - genetics; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Marine; Marine biology; Microbial Ecology; Molecular Sequence Data; Nitrosococcus oceani; Northwestern United States; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidoreductases - genetics; Oxygenases - genetics; Pacific Ocean; Phylogeny; pmoA gene; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proteobacteria; Seawater - microbiology; Sediments; Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water); Pacific Ocean; Northwestern United States; Marine environment; Ammonium; Enzyme; Bacteria; Population structure; Genetic distance; Methane monooxygenase; Oxidation; Oxidoreductases; Sediments; Microbial community
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/AEM.66.10.4532-4535.2000

The diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in aquatic sediments was studied by retrieving ammonia monooxygenase and methane monooxygenase gene sequences. Methanotrophs dominated freshwater sediments, while beta-proteobacterial ammonia oxidizers dominated marine sediments. These results suggest that gamma-proteobacteria such as Nitrosococcus oceani are minor members of marine sediment ammonia-oxidizing communities.