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Boran Kartal,
Wouter J Maalcke,
Naomi M de Almeida, Irina Cirpus,
Jolein Gloerich,
Wim Geerts,
Huub J M Op den Camp,
Harry R Harhangi,
Eva M Janssen-Megens,
Kees-Jan Francoijs,
Hendrik G Stunnenberg,
Jan T Keltjens,
Mike S M Jetten,
Marc Strous
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ABSTRACT: Two distinct microbial processes, denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), are responsible for the release of fixed nitrogen as dinitrogen gas (N(2)) to the atmosphere. Denitrification has been studied for over 100 years and its intermediates and enzymes are well known. Even though anammox is a key biogeochemical process of equal importance, its molecular mechanism is unknown, but it was proposed to proceed through hydrazine (N(2)H(4)). Here we show that N(2)H(4) is produced from the anammox substrates ammonium and nitrite and that nitric oxide (NO) is the direct precursor of N(2)H(4). We resolved the genes and proteins central to anammox metabolism and purified the key enzymes that catalyse N(2)H(4) synthesis and its oxidation to N(2). These results present a new biochemical reaction forging an N-N bond and fill a lacuna in our understanding of the biochemical synthesis of the N(2) in the atmosphere. Furthermore, they reinforce the role of nitric oxide in the evolution of the nitrogen cycle.
Nature 10/2011; 479(7371):127-30. · 36.28 Impact Factor
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Marc Strous,
Eric Pelletier,
Sophie Mangenot,
Thomas Rattei,
Angelika Lehner,
Michael W Taylor,
Matthias Horn,
Holger Daims,
Delphine Bartol-Mavel,
Patrick Wincker, [......],
Jack van de Vossenberg,
Boran Kartal,
Harald Meier,
Dmitrij Frishman,
Martijn A Huynen,
Hans-Werner Mewes,
Jean Weissenbach,
Mike S M Jetten,
Michael Wagner,
Denis Le Paslier
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ABSTRACT: Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) has become a main focus in oceanography and wastewater treatment. It is also the nitrogen cycle's major remaining biochemical enigma. Among its features, the occurrence of hydrazine as a free intermediate of catabolism, the biosynthesis of ladderane lipids and the role of cytoplasm differentiation are unique in biology. Here we use environmental genomics--the reconstruction of genomic data directly from the environment--to assemble the genome of the uncultured anammox bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis from a complex bioreactor community. The genome data illuminate the evolutionary history of the Planctomycetes and allow us to expose the genetic blueprint of the organism's special properties. Most significantly, we identified candidate genes responsible for ladderane biosynthesis and biological hydrazine metabolism, and discovered unexpected metabolic versatility.
Nature 05/2006; 440(7085):790-4. · 36.28 Impact Factor
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Marc Strous,
Eric Pelletier,
Sophie Mangenot,
Thomas Rattei,
Angelika Lehner,
Michael W. Taylor,
Matthias Horn,
Holger Daims,
Delphine Bartol-Mavel,
Patrick Wincker, [......],
Jack van de Vossenberg,
Boran Kartal,
Harald Meier,
Dmitrij Frishman,
Martijn A. Huynen,
Hans-Werner Mewes,
Jean Weissenbach,
Mike S. M. Jetten,
Michael Wagner,
Denis Le Paslier
Nature 04/2006; 440(7085):790-794. · 36.28 Impact Factor
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Markus C Schmid,
Bart Maas,
Ana Dapena,
Katinka van de Pas-Schoonen,
Jack van de Vossenberg,
Boran Kartal,
Laura van Niftrik,
Ingo Schmidt, Irina Cirpus,
J Gijs Kuenen,
Michael Wagner,
Jaap S Sinninghe Damsté,
Marcel Kuypers,
Niels Peter Revsbech,
Ramon Mendez,
Mike S M Jetten,
Marc Strous
Applied and Environmental Microbiology 05/2005; 71(4):1677-84. · 3.83 Impact Factor
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Boran Kartal,
Laura van Niftrik,
Olav Sliekers,
Markus C. Schmid,
Ingo Schmidt,
Katinka van de Pas-Schoonen, Irina Cirpus,
Wouter van der Star,
Mark van Loosdrecht,
Wiebe Abma,
J. Gijs Kuenen,
Jan-Willem Mulder,
Mike S. M. Jetten,
Huub Op den Camp,
Marc Strous,
Jack van de Vossenberg
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ABSTRACT: The demand for new and sustainable systems for nitrogen removal has increased dramatically in the last decade. It is clear that the conventional systems cannot deal with the increasing nitrogen loads in a cost effective way. As an alternative, the implementation of the anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) process in the treatment of wastewater with high ammonium concentrations has been started. The compact anammox reactors can sustain high nitrogen loads without any problems. The highest observed anammox capacity is 8.9 kg N removed m-3 reactor day-1. The first 75 m3 anammox reactor is operating in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, combined with the partial nitrification process Single reaction system for High Ammonium Removal Over Nitrite (SHARON). Partial nitrification and anammox can also be combined in one reactor systems like Completely Autotrophic Nitrogen removal Over Nitrite (CANON) or Oxygen Limited Ammonium removal via Nitrification Denitrification (OLAND) where aerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anammox bacteria cooperate under oxygen-limitation. These systems remove about 1.5 kg N m-3 reactor day-1. In addition to ammonium, urea can also be converted in the CANON system after a two-week adaptation period. The ecophysiological properties of the anammox bacteria make them very well suited to convert ammonium and nitrite. The Ks values for ammonium and nitrite are below 5 M. However, nitrite above 10 mM is detrimental for the anammox process, and oxygen reversibly inhibits the process at concentrations as low as 1 M. Acetate and propionate can be used by the anammox bacteria to convert nitrite and nitrate, whereas methanol and ethanol severely inhibit the anammox reaction. The enzyme hydroxylamine/hydrazine oxidoreductase (HAO), one of the key enzymes, is located in the anammoxosome, which is a membrane bound organelle. The membranes of the anammox bacteria contain unique ladderane lipids and hopanoids. The bacteria responsible for the anammox reaction are related to the Planctomycetes. The first anammox bacteria were isolated via Percoll centrifugation and characterized as Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans. Survey of different wastewater treatment plants using anammox specific 16S rRNA gene primers and anammox specific oligonucleotide probes has revealed the presence of at least three other anammox bacteria, which have been tentatively named Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis, Candidatus Scalindua wagneri and Candidatus Scalindua brodae. A close relative of the latter, Candidatus Scalindua sorokinii was found to be responsible for about 50% of the nitrogen conversion in the anoxic zone of the Black Sea, making the anammox bacteria an important player in the oceanic nitrogen cycle.
Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology 08/2004; 3(3):255-264.
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Mike S.M. Jetten,
Markus Schmid,
Ingo Schmidt,
Mariska Wubben,
Udo van Dongen,
Wiebe Abma,
Olav Sliekers,
Niels Peter Revsbech,
Hubertus J.E. Beaumont,
Lars Ottosen, [......],
Rob van Spanning,
Annette Bollmann,
Lars Peter Nielsen,
Huub Op den Camp,
Carl Schultz,
Jens Gundersen,
Peter Vanrolleghem,
Marc Strous,
Michael Wagner,
J. Gijs Kuenen
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ABSTRACT: In order to meet increasingly stringentEuropean discharge standards, new applicationsand control strategies for the sustainableremoval of ammonia from wastewater have to beimplemented. In this paper we discuss anitrogen removal system based on the processesof partial nitrification and anoxic ammoniaoxidation (anammox). The anammox process offersgreat opportunities to remove ammonia in fullyautotrophic systems with biomass retention. Noorganic carbon is needed in such nitrogenremoval system, since ammonia is used aselectron donor for nitrite reduction. Thenitrite can be produced from ammonia inoxygen-limited biofilm systems or in continuousprocesses without biomass retention. Forsuccessful implementation of the combinedprocesses, accurate biosensors for measuringammonia and nitrite concentrations, insight inthe complex microbial communities involved, andnew control strategies have to be developed andevaluated.
Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology 02/2002; 1(1):51-63.
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ABSTRACT: The biological nitrogen cycle is a complex interplay between many microorganisms catalyzing different reactions. For a long time, ammonia and nitrite oxidation by chemolithoautotrophic nitrifiers were thought to be restricted to oxic environments and the metabolic flexibility of these organisms seemed to be limited. The discovery of a novel pathway for anaerobic ammonia oxidation by Planctomyces (anammox) and the finding of an anoxic metabolism by ‘classical’Nitrosomonas-like organisms showed that this is no longer valid. The aim of this review is to summarize these novel findings in nitrogen conversion and to discuss the ecological importance of these processes.
FEMS Microbiology Ecology 02/2002; 39(3):175 - 181. · 3.41 Impact Factor
