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Competition between heterotrophic and autotrophic nitrifiers for ammonia in chemostat cultures

van Niel, Ed LU ; Arts, P.A.M. ; Wesselink, B.J. ; Robertson, L.A. and Kuenen, J.G. (1993) In FEMS Microbiology Ecology 102. p.109-118
Abstract
Mixed cultures of a heterotrophic nitrifier/aerobic denitrifier, Thiosphaera pantotropha, and an autotrophic nitrifier, Nitrosomonas europaea, were grown in chemostats under dual ammonia-and acetate limitation. Because of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification by T. pantotropha, the activity of the cultures was evaluated from nitrogen balances as complete as possible. Under most conditions studied, no interaction took place between the two bacteria. Only above a critical C/N ratio of 10.4, T. pantotropha was able to outcompete N. europaea for ammonia (dilution rate = 0.04 h−1). At dissolved oxygen concentrations below 10 μM, the autotroph became oxygen-limited and the heterotroph dominated in the culture. Moreover, when the... (More)
Mixed cultures of a heterotrophic nitrifier/aerobic denitrifier, Thiosphaera pantotropha, and an autotrophic nitrifier, Nitrosomonas europaea, were grown in chemostats under dual ammonia-and acetate limitation. Because of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification by T. pantotropha, the activity of the cultures was evaluated from nitrogen balances as complete as possible. Under most conditions studied, no interaction took place between the two bacteria. Only above a critical C/N ratio of 10.4, T. pantotropha was able to outcompete N. europaea for ammonia (dilution rate = 0.04 h−1). At dissolved oxygen concentrations below 10 μM, the autotroph became oxygen-limited and the heterotroph dominated in the culture. Moreover, when the dilution rate was increased to 0.065 h−1, N. europaea could not maintain itself successfully in the chemostat, even when the C/N ratio was as low as 2.2. Nitrification by T. pantotropha was equivalent to that of N. europaea when the cell ratio of heterotrophs/autotrophs was 250. The relevance of these observations to the nitrogen cycle in natural environments is discussed.
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author
; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
aerobic denitrification, Thiosphaera pantotropha, Nitrosomonas europaea, chemostat, co-cultures
in
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
volume
102
pages
10 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:0027338658
ISSN
0168-6496
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
7bf2b2aa-fdcf-4ffc-9cb0-17752459c823
date added to LUP
2016-08-26 14:20:21
date last changed
2021-09-26 04:01:52
@article{7bf2b2aa-fdcf-4ffc-9cb0-17752459c823,
  abstract     = {{Mixed cultures of a heterotrophic nitrifier/aerobic denitrifier, Thiosphaera pantotropha, and an autotrophic nitrifier, Nitrosomonas europaea, were grown in chemostats under dual ammonia-and acetate limitation. Because of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification by T. pantotropha, the activity of the cultures was evaluated from nitrogen balances as complete as possible. Under most conditions studied, no interaction took place between the two bacteria. Only above a critical C/N ratio of 10.4, T. pantotropha was able to outcompete N. europaea for ammonia (dilution rate = 0.04 h−1). At dissolved oxygen concentrations below 10 μM, the autotroph became oxygen-limited and the heterotroph dominated in the culture. Moreover, when the dilution rate was increased to 0.065 h−1, N. europaea could not maintain itself successfully in the chemostat, even when the C/N ratio was as low as 2.2. Nitrification by T. pantotropha was equivalent to that of N. europaea when the cell ratio of heterotrophs/autotrophs was 250. The relevance of these observations to the nitrogen cycle in natural environments is discussed.<br/>}},
  author       = {{van Niel, Ed and Arts, P.A.M. and Wesselink, B.J. and Robertson, L.A. and Kuenen, J.G.}},
  issn         = {{0168-6496}},
  keywords     = {{aerobic denitrification; Thiosphaera pantotropha; Nitrosomonas europaea; chemostat; co-cultures}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{109--118}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{FEMS Microbiology Ecology}},
  title        = {{Competition between heterotrophic and autotrophic nitrifiers for ammonia in chemostat cultures}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/11419725/vanNiel1993FEMSME102_109_118.pdf}},
  volume       = {{102}},
  year         = {{1993}},
}