A laboratory investigation of interactions between denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) and anammox processes in anoxic environments.

Shihu Hu,Paul A Lant,Gene W Tyson,Zhiguo Yuan,Raymond J Zeng,Mohamed F Haroon,Jurg Keller

doi:10.1038/srep08706

Abstract

This study investigates interactions between recently identified denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) processes in controlled anoxic laboratory reactors. Two reactors were seeded with the same inocula containing DAMO organisms Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens and Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera, and anammox organism Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis. Both were fed with ammonium and methane, but one was also fed with nitrate and the other with nitrite, providing anoxic environments with different electron acceptors. After steady state reached in several months, the DAMO process became solely/primarily responsible for nitrate reduction while the anammox process became solely responsible for nitrite reduction in both reactors. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that the nitrate-driven DAMO organism M. nitroreducens dominated both the nitrate-fed (~70%) and the nitrite-fed (~26%) reactors, while the nitrite-driven DAMO organism M. oxyfera disappeared in both communities. The elimination of M. oxyfera from both reactors was likely the results of this organism being outcompeted by anammox bacteria for nitrite. K. stuttgartiensis was detected at relatively low levels (1–3%) in both reactors.

Highlights

A laboratory investigation of interactions between denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) and anammox processes in anoxic environments
After steady state reached in several months, the DAMO process became solely/primarily responsible for nitrate reduction while the anammox process became solely responsible for nitrite reduction in both reactors. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that the nitrate-driven DAMO organism M. nitroreducens dominated both the nitrate-fed (,70%) and the nitrite-fed (,26%) reactors, while the nitrite-driven DAMO organism M. oxyfera disappeared in both communities
Independent of the forms of oxidized nitrogen in the feed, M. nitroreducens was responsible for nitrate reduction to nitrite and the anammox process responsible for nitrite reduction, when steady states were reached

Summary

Introduction

A laboratory investigation of interactions between denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) and anammox processes in anoxic environments. This study investigates interactions between recently identified denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) processes in controlled anoxic laboratory reactors. Two reactors were seeded with the same inocula containing DAMO organisms Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens and Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera, and anammox organism Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis. Both were fed with ammonium and methane, but one was fed with nitrate and the other with nitrite, providing anoxic environments with different electron acceptors. The enrichment culture was dominated by Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera (,80%), while a group of anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME-2d) archaea were detected (,10%). The known DAMO microorganisms include M. nitroreducens, a nitrate-driven DAMO archaea, and M. oxyfera, a nitrite-driven DAMO bacteria

Methods

Results

Conclusion