title: amoA Gene abundances and nitrification potential rates suggest that benthic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and not Archaea dominate N cycling in the Colne Estuary, United Kingdom.
abstract: Nitrification, mediated by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), is important in global nitrogen cycling. In estuaries where gradients of salinity and ammonia concentrations occur, there may be differential selections for ammonia-oxidizer populations. The aim of this study was to examine the activity, abundance, and diversity of AOA and AOB in surface oxic sediments of a highly nutrified estuary that exhibits gradients of salinity and ammonium. AOB and AOA communities were investigated by measuring ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene abundance and nitrification potentials both spatially and temporally. Nitrification potentials differed along the estuary and over time, with the greatest nitrification potentials occurring mid-estuary (8.2 μmol N grams dry weight [gdw](-1) day(-1) in June, increasing to 37.4 μmol N gdw(-1) day(-1) in January). At the estuary head, the nitrification potential was 4.3 μmol N gdw(-1) day(-1) in June, increasing to 11.7 μmol N gdw(-1) day(-1) in January. At the estuary head and mouth, nitrification potentials fluctuated throughout the year. AOB amoA gene abundances were significantly greater (by 100-fold) than those of AOA both spatially and temporally. Nitrosomonas spp. were detected along the estuary by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) band sequence analysis. In conclusion, AOB dominated over AOA in the estuarine sediments, with the ratio of AOB/AOA amoA gene abundance increasing from the upper (freshwater) to lower (marine) regions of the Colne estuary. These findings suggest that in this nutrified estuary, AOB (possibly Nitrosomonas spp.) were of major significance in nitrification.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Jialin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Nedwell
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beddow
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dumbrell
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Boyd A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: McKew
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Emma L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom cwhitby@essex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Whitby
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D058465:Nitrification; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D012621:Seasons; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000641:Ammonia; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C045582:ammonia monooxygenase