A survey of ammonia-assimilating micro-organisms in cattle manure composting.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the ammonia-assimilating abilities of micro-organisms isolated from cattle manure composting processes and to determine the distribution of cultivable species of ammonia-assimilating micro-organisms in microbial communities during the composting processes.


RESULTS
Compost samples were collected from four stages of treatment. Trypto soya agar was used for the isolation of ammonia-assimilating aerobes. Many of the isolates showed high ammonia-assimilating ability in a medium containing basal components and a compost extract. Partial 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing showed that the cultivable species of highly efficient ammonia-assimilating isolates changed during the composting process. The community structure of micro-organisms and actinomycetes was analysed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Two species of actinomycetes identified by PCR-DGGE coincided with those found among the cultured isolates.


CONCLUSIONS
Ammonia-assimilating micro-organisms obtained by the cultivation method were not predominant in the microbial community during the composting process: however certain cultured actinomycetes were members of predominant species in the actinomycetes community.


CONCLUSIONS
Ammonia assimilation by micro-organisms is one of the important mechanisms for ammonia retention in the composting process. Cultivable actinomycetes are a means for preventing ammonia emission from the composting process.
Sasaki
H
H
Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Naruko, Miyagi, Japan.
Yano
H
H
Sasaki
T
T
Nakai
Y
Y
D000190:Actinomyces / Q000235:genetics; D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008372:Manure; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D021521:Ribotyping; D017385:Sequence Homology; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008372:Manure; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D000641:Ammonia