Methane-eating bacteria degrades ammonium
Microbiologists at Radboud University and the Max Planck Institute, Bremen found that methane-eating bacteria can degrade ammonium along with methane. Methane-eaters are necessary for reducing greenhouses gas discharges from volcanoes and various other fields yet have not earlier been associated with nitrogen discharge. The results of the study will be released in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) this week.
Unique methane-degrading bacteria was discovered in a mud pot of the Solfatara volcano, Italy by microbiologists from Radboud University in 2007. Outcomes of that study were released in the journal Nature. That bacteria could survive under extreme conditions, such as the temperature of 55°C and pH ranging between 1-3. Additionally, this bacteria thrives only in the existence of rare elements. Presently, the properties of these ‘extremophiles’ are being studied.
In addition to methane, it was found that this bacteria has the ability to degrade ammonium also. This is a life-saving characteristic as these organisms are typically faced with high, toxic concentrations of this nitrogen substance in their living atmospheres, such as in volcanos, garbage dumping sites, or rice fields.
The degradation of ammonium forms toxic hydroxylamine. According to the PNAS article, the using mHAO
enzyme, these bacteria can degrade this compound to nitric oxide, which can be again converted into nitrite or laughing gas that is safe for the bacteria. This allows the bacteria to survive in an increased concentration of ammonium.Huub Op den Camp, professor of Microbiology of Acidic Volcanic Ecosystems at Radboud University said that the important cycles they have discovered are far more complex than they expected. Methane-eating microorganisms are not generally associated with nitrogen emission. Currently, it seems that this bacterium is additionally involved in this, along with the bacteria that generally oxidize ammonium in the soil.
Author: Sruthi S
