title: Activity, abundance and structure of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in plateau soils.
abstract: Both ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) can be involved in biotransformation of ammonia to nitrite in soil ecosystems. However, the distribution of AOA and AOB in plateau soils and influential factors remain largely unclear. In the present study, the activity, abundance and structure of ammonia oxidizers in different soils on the Yunnan Plateau were assessed using potential nitrification rates (PNRs), quantitative PCR assay and clone library analysis, respectively. Wide variation was found in both AOA and AOB communities in plateau soils. PNRs showed a significant positive correlation with AOB abundance. Both were determined by the ratio of organic carbon to nitrogen (C/N) and total phosphorous (TP). AOB could play a more important role in ammonia oxidation. AOB community diversity was likely affected by soil total nitrogen (TN) and total organic carbon (TOC) and was usually higher than AOA community diversity. Moreover, Nitrososphaera- and Nitrosospira-like organisms, respectively, were the dominant AOA and AOB in plateau soils. AOA community structure was likely shaped by TP and C/N, while AOB community structure was determined by pH.
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences (Ministry of Education), College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Qiheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Yuanpei College, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Ningning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: xiesg@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shuguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences (Ministry of Education), College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: yongliu@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000502:physiology*; D058465:Nitrification; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D009573:Nitrites; D012987:Soil; D000641:Ammonia
keywords: Acidic soil; Environmental factor; Nitrification; Nitrososphaera; Nitrosospira