Comammox
Nitrification is the term describing the conversion of ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate. This process is commonly carried out by two separate groups of microorganisms.[1] However, complete conversion of ammonia into nitrate by a single microorganism was predicted in 2006 and this hypothetical organism was tentatively named "Comammox" (COMplete AMMonia OXidiser).[2] Almost ten years later the presence of such organisms was discovered within the nitrospira and the nitrogen cycle had to be updated.[3][4] The genomes revealed the presence of genes necessary for ammonia oxidation (e.g. amoA gene and hao cluster).
References
- ^ Winogradsky, Serge (1892). "Contributions a la morphologie des organismes de la nitrification". Arch. Sci. Biol. 1: 87–137.
- ^ Costa, E; Pérez, J; Kreft, JU (May 2006). "Why is metabolic labour divided in nitrification?". Trends in microbiology. 14 (5): 213–9. doi:10.1016/j.tim.2006.03.006. PMID 16621570.
- ^ van Kessel, MA; Speth, DR; Albertsen, M; Nielsen, PH; Op den Camp, HJ; Kartal, B; Jetten, MS; Lücker, S (26 November 2015). "Complete nitrification by a single microorganism". Nature. 528: 555–9. doi:10.1038/nature16459. PMC 4878690. PMID 26610025.
- ^ Daims, H; Lebedeva, EV; Pjevac, P; Han, P; Herbold, C; Albertsen, M; Jehmlich, N; Palatinszky, M; Vierheilig, J; Bulaev, A; Kirkegaard, RH; Bergen, MV; Rattei, T; Bendinger, B; Nielsen, PH; Wagner, M (26 November 2015). "Complete nitrification by Nitrospira bacteria". Nature. 528: 504–9. doi:10.1038/nature16461. PMID 26610024.