Interactions between Thaumarchaea, Nitrospira and methanotrophs modulate autotrophic nitrification in volcanic grassland soil.

ABSTRACT: Ammonium/ammonia is the sole energy substrate of ammonia oxidizers, and is also an essential nitrogen source for other microorganisms. Ammonia oxidizers therefore must compete with other soil microorganisms such as methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in terrestrial ecosystems when ammonium concentrations are limiting. Here we report on the interactions between nitrifying communities dominated by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and Nitrospira-like nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and communities of MOB in controlled microcosm experiments with two levels of ammonium and methane availability. We observed strong stimulatory effects of elevated ammonium concentration on the processes of nitrification and methane oxidation as well as on the abundances of autotrophically growing nitrifiers. However

SUBMITTER: Daebeler A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4260704 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature