Ammonia oxidation coupled to CO2 fixation by archaea and bacteria in an agricultural soil.

ABSTRACT: Ammonia oxidation is an essential part of the global nitrogen cycling and was long thought to be driven only by bacteria. Recent findings expanded this pathway also to the archaea. However, most questions concerning the metabolism of ammonia-oxidizing archaea, such as ammonia oxidation and potential CO(2) fixation, remain open, especially for terrestrial environments. Here, we investigated the activity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in an agricultural soil by comparison of RNA- and DNA-stable isotope probing (SIP). RNA-SIP demonstrated a highly dynamic and diverse community involved in CO(2) fixation and carbon assimilation coupled to ammonia oxidation. DNA-SIP showed growth of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria but not of archaea. Furthermore, the analysis of labeled RNA found tran

SUBMITTER: Pratscher J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3053987 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature