Anaerobic ammonium oxidation by anammox bacteria in the Black Sea

The availability of fixed inorganic nitrogen (nitrate, nitrite and ammonium) limits primary productivity in many oceanic regions. The conversion of nitrate to N2 by heterotrophic bacteria (denitrification) is believed to be the only important sink for fixed inorganic nitrogen in the ocean. Here we provide evidence for bacteria that anaerobically oxidize ammonium with nitrite to N2 in the world's largest anoxic basin, the Black Sea. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences shows that these bacteria are related to members of the order Planctomycetales performing the anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) process in ammonium-removing bioreactors. Nutrient profiles, fluorescently labelled RNA probes, 15N tracer experiments and the distribution of specific 'ladderane' membrane lipids indicate that ammonium diffusing upwards from the anoxic deep water is consumed by anammox bacteria below the oxic zone. This is the first time that anammox bacteria have been identified and directly linked to the removal of fixed inorganic nitrogen in the environment. The widespread occurrence of ammonium consumption in suboxic marine settings indicates that anammox might be important in the oceanic nitrogen cycle.     

不同氮化合物添加对羊草叶绿素和叶氮含量的影响

氮沉降是全球变化研究的热点问题之一。以内蒙古呼伦贝尔草甸草原优势种羊草为研究对象,分析不同氮化合物和不同剂量氮添加对羊草叶片叶绿素和叶氮含量的影响。结果表明:硝酸铵和硫酸铵两种氮素化合物对叶绿素和叶氮含量的影响没有显著差异;在两种氮添加均显著增加了羊草叶片叶绿素和叶氮含量,且随着氮浓度的增加,叶绿素和叶氮含量呈单峰模式;在两种化合物添加处理下,羊草叶绿素和叶氮含量之间呈显著正相关关系。     

Spatial coupling of nitrogen inputs and losses in the ocean

Nitrogen fixation is crucial for maintaining biological productivity in the oceans, because it replaces the biologically available nitrogen that is lost through denitrification. But, owing to its temporal and spatial variability, the global distribution of marine nitrogen fixation is difficult to determine from direct shipboard measurements. This uncertainty limits our understanding of the factors that influence nitrogen fixation, which may include iron, nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios, and physical conditions such as temperature. Here we determine nitrogen fixation rates in the world's oceans through their impact on nitrate and phosphate concentrations in surface waters, using an ocean circulation model. Our results indicate that nitrogen fixation rates are highest in the Pacific Ocean, where water column denitrification rates are high but the rate of atmospheric iron deposition is low. We conclude that oceanic nitrogen fixation is closely tied to the generation of nitrogen-deficient waters in denitrification zones, supporting the view that nitrogen fixation stabilizes the oceanic inventory of fixed nitrogen over time.     

Evidence for complete denitrification in a benthic foraminifer

Benthic foraminifera are unicellular eukaryotes found abundantly in many types of marine sediments. Many species survive and possibly reproduce in anoxic habitats, but sustainable anaerobic metabolism has not been previously described. Here we demonstrate that the foraminifer Globobulimina pseudospinescens accumulates intracellular nitrate stores and that these can be respired to dinitrogen gas. The amounts of nitrate detected are estimated to be sufficient to support respiration for over a month. In a Swedish fjord sediment where G. pseudospinescens is the dominant foraminifer, the intracellular nitrate pool in this species accounted for 20% of the large, cell-bound, nitrate pool present in an oxygen-free zone. Similarly high nitrate concentrations were also detected in foraminifera Nonionella cf. stella and a Stainforthia species, the two dominant benthic taxa occurring within the oxygen minimum zone of the continental shelf off Chile. Given the high abundance of foraminifera in anoxic marine environments, these new findings suggest that foraminifera may play an important role in global nitrogen cycling and indicate that our understanding of the complexity of the marine nitrogen cycle is far from complete.     

Molecular mechanism of anaerobic ammonium oxidation

Two distinct microbial processes, denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), are responsible for the release of fixed nitrogen as dinitrogen gas (N(2)) to the atmosphere. Denitrification has been studied for over 100 years and its intermediates and enzymes are well known. Even though anammox is a key biogeochemical process of equal importance, its molecular mechanism is unknown, but it was proposed to proceed through hydrazine (N(2)H(4)). Here we show that N(2)H(4) is produced from the anammox substrates ammonium and nitrite and that nitric oxide (NO) is the direct precursor of N(2)H(4). We resolved the genes and proteins central to anammox metabolism and purified the key enzymes that catalyse N(2)H(4) synthesis and its oxidation to N(2). These results present a new biochemical reaction forging an N-N bond and fill a lacuna in our understanding of the biochemical synthesis of the N(2) in the atmosphere. Furthermore, they reinforce the role of nitric oxide in the evolution of the nitrogen cycle.     

A microbial consortium couples anaerobic methane oxidation to denitrification

Modern agriculture has accelerated biological methane and nitrogen cycling on a global scale. Freshwater sediments often receive increased downward fluxes of nitrate from agricultural runoff and upward fluxes of methane generated by anaerobic decomposition. In theory, prokaryotes should be capable of using nitrate to oxidize methane anaerobically, but such organisms have neither been observed in nature nor isolated in the laboratory. Microbial oxidation of methane is thus believed to proceed only with oxygen or sulphate. Here we show that the direct, anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to denitrification of nitrate is possible. A microbial consortium, enriched from anoxic sediments, oxidized methane to carbon dioxide coupled to denitrification in the complete absence of oxygen. This consortium consisted of two microorganisms, a bacterium representing a phylum without any cultured species and an archaeon distantly related to marine methanotrophic Archaea. The detection of relatives of these prokaryotes in different freshwater ecosystems worldwide indicates that the reaction presented here may make a substantial contribution to biological methane and nitrogen cycles.     

氮素形态对‘凤丹’表型性状、光合及产量的影响

【目的】研究不同氮素形态配比对油用牡丹‘凤丹’(Paeonia ostii ‘Feng Dan’)表型性状、光合特性及其籽粒产量的影响,确定氮素形态最佳配比,促进高产高效科学施肥。【方法】采用铵态氮(NH⁺₄-N)、硝态氮(NO^-₃-N)和酰胺态氮(N-CONH₂)3种不同氮素形态,设置不同氮素形态配比,考察‘凤丹’的表型性状、光合特性和产量。【结果】在固定磷钾等量施肥条件下,与对照相比,不同形态氮肥及铵态氮、硝态氮配施对‘凤丹’的表型性状、光合特性和籽粒产量参数均有显著影响(P<0.05)。铵态氮与硝态氮摩尔配比在50:50的处理下,‘凤丹’叶片净光合速率、气孔导度、蒸腾速率均达到最大,较对照分别提高了22.85%、39.18%和25.98%; 胞间CO₂浓度最小,较对照降低了14.67%; 植株的千粒质量和单株籽粒产量均显著高于其他施肥处理(P<0.05),较对照分别提高了31.86%和43.05%。【结论】铵态氮与硝态氮等比配施可使‘凤丹’的表型性状、光合特性及产量大幅提高,可为‘凤丹’的合理施肥提供理论依据。     

鄱阳湖湿地泗洲头洲滩浅层土壤氮素的时空特征

湿地是全球氮循环的N源、N汇和N转化器,自然湿地氮的研究对于揭示生态系统氮循环的规律具有重要意义.以鄱阳湖湿地泗洲头为研究区域,根据湿地海拔高程梯度(10～17 m)采取表层土壤0～20 cm土层样品,分析了土壤全氮、铵态氮、硝态氮、碱解氮的空间分布特征.结果表明:鄱阳湖湿地泗洲头表层土壤氮含量空间分布较为复杂,0～10 cm土层的氮含量和10～20 cm土层的氮含量呈现相似的梯度特征,0～10 cm土层的土壤氮含量要高于10～20 cm土层的土壤氮含量,其中0～10 cm土层和10～20 cm土层的全氮、铵态氮、碱解氮含量最高均值出现在高程13～14 m,硝态氮最高均值出现在高程16～17 m.利用SPSS双变量中的pearson相关性检验表层土壤全氮、铵态氮、硝态氮、碱解氮与地上生物量、土壤pH值、土壤含水量、年均淹水时间、高程之间的相关性,结果表明:土壤氮素与地上生物量的相关性在统计学意义上最为显著,而与其他环境因素的相关性并不明显.这反映了鄱阳湖泗洲头表层土壤氮含量的空间分布与积累过程受干扰的因素比较复杂.     

Increased marine production of N2O due to intensifying anoxia on the Indian continental shelf

Eutrophication of surface waters and hypoxia in bottom waters has been increasing in many coastal areas, leading to very large depletions of marine life in the affected regions. These areas of high surface productivity and low bottom-water oxygen concentration are caused by increasing runoff of nutrients from land. Although the local ecological and socio-economic effects have received much attention, the potential contribution of increasing hypoxia to global-change phenomena is unknown. Here we report the intensification of one of the largest low-oxygen zones in the ocean, which develops naturally over the western Indian continental shelf during late summer and autumn. We also report the highest accumulations yet observed of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in open coastal waters. Increased N2O production is probably caused by the addition of anthropogenic nitrate and its subsequent denitrification, which is favoured by hypoxic conditions. We suggest that a global expansion of hypoxic zones may lead to an increase in marine production and emission of N2O, which, as a potent greenhouse gas, could contribute significantly to the accumulation of radiatively active trace gases in the atmosphere.     

A possible nitrogen crisis for Archaean life due to reduced nitrogen fixation by lightning.

Nitrogen is an essential element for life and is often the limiting nutrient for terrestrial ecosystems. As most nitrogen is locked in the kinetically stable form, N2, in the Earth's atmosphere, processes that can fix N2 into biologically available forms-such as nitrate and ammonia-control the supply of nitrogen for organisms. On the early Earth, nitrogen is thought to have been fixed abiotically, as nitric oxide formed during lightning discharge. The advent of biological nitrogen fixation suggests that at some point the demand for fixed nitrogen exceeded the supply from abiotic sources, but the timing and causes of the onset of biological nitrogen fixation remain unclear. Here we report an experimental simulation of nitrogen fixation by lightning over a range of Hadean (4.5-3.8 Gyr ago) and Archaean (3.8-2.5 Gyr ago) atmospheric compositions, from predominantly carbon dioxide to predominantly dinitrogen (but always without oxygen). We infer that, as atmospheric CO2 decreased over the Archaean period, the production of nitric oxide from lightning discharge decreased by two orders of magnitude until about 2.2 Gyr. After this time, the rise in oxygen (or methane) concentrations probably initiated other abiotic sources of nitrogen. Although the temporary reduction in nitric oxide production may have lasted for only 100 Myr or less, this was potentially long enough to cause an ecological crisis that triggered the development of biological nitrogen fixation.     

氮负荷对烟气脱硫脱硝废水反硝化过程的影响

依据烟气脱硫脱硝废水的主要特征配制模拟废水,研究不同硝态氮负荷对该废水反硝化过程中C和N的变化规律及脱氮效果的影响．间歇式批次实验结果表明：氮负荷为50～400 mg/L时,经过12 h后硝态氮去除率达到95％以上,反应过程中有10％～20％硝态氮转化为亚硝态氮．随着氮负荷的增加,T OC的消耗量也在增加,但降解率逐渐减小,去除每毫克硝态氮所需TOC依次为5．40、4．03、3．15、2．96、2．88、2．32和1．9 mg ． TN的去除包括硝态氮、亚硝态氮和部分有机氮的去除,亚硝态氮完全去除时TN也基本去除．反应结束时,不同氮负荷下所需的△TOC/△TN为1．9～4．0．氮负荷从50 mg/L增加至400 mg/L ,容积反硝化速率由2．73 mg NO－3‐N /（L· h）增加至21．90 mg NO3－‐N /（L · h）．△TOC/△TN与容积反硝化速率、氮负荷之间都呈良好的线性关系．     

植物中的铵根及硝酸根转运蛋白研究进展

氮素(N)是植物需求量最大的营养元素,其利用率是影响植物生长和发育的主要因素。氮素的供需失衡会导致植物产量降低,过量施N肥还会造成环境破坏。NH4+和NO3-是可吸收利用的主要氮源。笔者分析了植物吸收NH4+、NO3-的转运蛋白及其相关基因的表达调控和功能的研究进展,认为在以后的研究中,应加强林木中与氮吸收相关基因的鉴定和认识,特别是加强氮素信号传导途径、NO3-及NH4+在植物体内的运输和调控机制、各蛋白组分间的相互作用、时间和空间表达模式和调控模式的研究。     

A unifying framework for dinitrogen fixation in the terrestrial biosphere

Dinitrogen (N(2)) fixation is widely recognized as an important process in controlling ecosystem responses to global environmental change, both today and in the past; however, significant discrepancies exist between theory and observations of patterns of N(2) fixation across major sectors of the land biosphere. A question remains as to why symbiotic N(2)-fixing plants are more abundant in vast areas of the tropics than in many of the mature forests that seem to be nitrogen-limited in the temperate and boreal zones. Here we present a unifying framework for terrestrial N(2) fixation that can explain the geographic occurrence of N(2) fixers across diverse biomes and at the global scale. By examining trade-offs inherent in plant carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus capture, we find a clear advantage to symbiotic N(2) fixers in phosphorus-limited tropical savannas and lowland tropical forests. The ability of N(2) fixers to invest nitrogen into phosphorus acquisition seems vital to sustained N(2) fixation in phosphorus-limited tropical ecosystems. In contrast, modern-day temperatures seem to constrain N(2) fixation rates and N(2)-fixing species from mature forests in the high latitudes. We propose that an analysis that couples biogeochemical cycling and biophysical mechanisms is sufficient to explain the principal geographical patterns of symbiotic N(2) fixation on land, thus providing a basis for predicting the response of nutrient-limited ecosystems to climate change and increasing atmospheric CO(2).     

High rates of N2 fixation by unicellular diazotrophs in the oligotrophic Pacific Ocean

The availability of nitrogen is important in regulating biological productivity in marine environments. Deepwater nitrate has long been considered the major source of new nitrogen supporting primary production in oligotrophic regions of the open ocean, but recent studies have showed that biological N2 fixation has a critical role in supporting oceanic new production. Large colonial cyanobacteria in the genus Trichodesmium and the heterocystous endosymbiont Richelia have traditionally been considered the dominant marine N2 fixers, but unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria and bacterioplankton have recently been found in the picoplankton and nanoplankton community of the North Pacific central gyre, and a variety of molecular and isotopic evidence suggests that these unicells could make a major contribution to the oceanic N budget. Here we report rates of N2 fixation by these small, previously overlooked diazotrophs that, although spatially variable, can equal or exceed the rate of N2 fixation reported for larger, more obvious organisms. Direct measurements of 15N2 fixation by small diazotrophs in various parts of the Pacific Ocean, including the waters off Hawaii where the unicellular diazotrophs were first characterized, show that N2 fixation by unicellular diazotrophs can support a significant fraction of total new production in oligotrophic waters.     

Nitrogen loss from unpolluted South American forests mainly via dissolved organic compounds.

Conceptual and numerical models of nitrogen cycling in temperate forests assume that nitrogen is lost from these ecosystems predominantly by way of inorganic forms, such as nitrate and ammonium ions. Of these, nitrate is thought to be particularly mobile, being responsible for nitrogen loss to deep soil and stream waters. But human activities-such as fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer production and land-use change-have substantially altered the nitrogen cycle over large regions, making it difficult to separate natural aspects of nitrogen cycling from those induced by human perturbations. Here we report stream chemistry data from 100 unpolluted primary forests in temperate South America. Although the sites exhibit a broad range of environmental factors that influence ecosystem nutrient cycles (such as climate, parent material, time of ecosystem development, topography and biotic diversity), we observed a remarkably consistent pattern of nitrogen loss across all forests. In contrast to findings from forests in polluted regions, streamwater nitrate concentrations are exceedingly low, such that nitrate to ammonium ratios were less than unity, and dissolved organic nitrogen is responsible for the majority of nitrogen losses from these forests. We therefore suggest that organic nitrogen losses should be considered in models of forest nutrient cycling, which could help to explain observations of nutrient limitation in temperate forest ecosystems.     

Unicellular cyanobacteria fix N2 in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean

Fixed nitrogen (N) often limits the growth of organisms in terrestrial and aquatic biomes, and N availability has been important in controlling the CO2 balance of modern and ancient oceans. The fixation of atmospheric dinitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia is catalysed by nitrogenase and provides a fixed N for N-limited environments. The filamentous cyanobacterium Trichodesmium has been assumed to be the predominant oceanic N2-fixing microorganism since the discovery of N2 fixation in Trichodesmium in 1961 (ref. 6). Attention has recently focused on oceanic N2 fixation because nitrogen availability is generally limiting in many oceans, and attempts to constrain the global atmosphere-ocean fluxes of CO2 are based on basin-scale N balances. Biogeochemical studies and models have suggested that total N2-fixation rates may be substantially greater than previously believed but cannot be reconciled with observed Trichodesmium abundances. It is curious that there are so few known N2-fixing microorganisms in oligotrophic oceans when it is clearly ecologically advantageous. Here we show that there are unicellular cyanobacteria in the open ocean that are expressing nitrogenase, and are abundant enough to potentially have a significant role in N dynamics.     

南方丘陵地区农田氮素渗漏特征研究

农田氮肥的淋失是氮素损失的重要途径之一.在南方丘陵地区选择4种土地利用类型中6个农田地块进行为期1年的氮素渗漏试验,结果表明:(1)不同的土地利用类型的硝氮浓度变化趋势为春季种植季节后逐渐升高,在7-8月份达到最高,然后呈逐渐下降的趋势,呈低-高-低的变化趋势.氨氮浓度与硝氮浓度的消长规律相似,但变化规律不如硝氮浓度明显,时有起伏.(2)土壤中氮素渗漏的基本形态是硝氮,农田氮素的渗漏主要发生在4-8月份.(3)施肥对氮素渗漏量的影响非常显著.施肥量和施肥种类的不同,导致不同土地利用类型浅层地下水的硝氮和氨氮浓度差异较大.施肥量越大,其渗漏量也越大.主要施用碳氨品种化肥的土地利用,其渗漏水中硝氮浓度相对较高,氨氮浓度比较低,而施粗制有机肥的土地利用氨氮浓度表现较高.(4)对地下水位较高的土地利用农田渗漏水中氨氮浓度相对较高.适当的化肥施用量可以减少氮素淋失.     

氮源对杜鹃花菌根真菌氮吸收及硝酸还原酶活性的影响

采用菌丝干重法、半微量凯氏定氮法和磺胺比色法分别测定了HD19、ZT13和D1 3个树粉孢属杜鹃花菌根真菌菌株在铵态氮、硝态氮和有机氮培养基中的生物量、含氮量和硝酸还原酶活性。结果表明:3个菌株在3种氮源培养基中生长良好,而且无机氮培养基中菌株生物量和氮吸收量均显著高于有机氮培养基; 其中菌株HD19在硝态氮培养基中氮吸收量显著高于铵态氮,而菌株ZT13和D1在铵态氮培养基中氮吸收量较高; 菌株在硝态氮培养基中硝酸还原酶活性均较高,说明树粉孢属杜鹃花菌根真菌不仅具有较好的利用硝态氮的能力,还可以吸收利用其他形态的氮源,外源硝态氮可以诱导该类真菌硝酸还原酶活性的提高。     

A2N-IC新工艺与A2N工艺脱氮除磷性能对比研究

为了实现污水中磷的高效去除和磷资源回收,将化学除磷技术与双污泥反硝化聚磷工艺(Anaerobic/Anoxic/Nitration,A2N)结合,开发了新型双污泥反硝化聚磷诱导结晶磷回收工艺(Anaerobic/Anoxic/Nitration-Induced Crystallization process,A2N-IC),并比较了A2N-IC工艺和A2N工艺的脱氮除磷性能.结果表明:在进水总磷(Total Phos-phorus,TP)浓度为5.22～8.31mg/L的情况下,A2N,A2N-IC工艺TP去除率分别为87.4%,99.6%,A2N-IC除磷效率和稳定性明显优于A2N工艺.2种工艺对氨氮的去除效果基本相同,分别为84.8%,84.4%.A2N-IC工艺中化学除磷对生物除磷的辅助是保证该工艺稳定高效运行的主要原因.A2N-IC工艺结晶柱中的主要产物为羟基磷酸钙,鸟粪石在结晶柱中难以形成.     

胞壁结合型生物破乳菌Alcaligenes sp. S-XJ-1氮源利用特性

以六种氨基酸及硝酸铵为氮源培养胞壁结合型生物破乳剂产生菌Alcaligenes sp.S-XJ-1,进而分析菌体对谷氨酸和硝酸铵的利用过程,并建立菌体的生长及氮源利用模型.结果表明:氮源种类和投量是影响菌体产量和性能的重要因素;菌体对氮源的利用顺序依次为有机氮、氨态氮、硝态氮;谷氨酸为氮源时对生物破乳菌产量的促进效果最佳,相比于硝酸铵为氮源时,菌体最大比增长速率和产率系数更高,用于菌体代谢供能的氮源消耗量更低.