Heterotrophic nitrifying/aerobic denitrifying bacteria: Ammonium removal under different physical-chemical conditions and molecular characterization

Lívia Carneiro Fidélis Silva; Helena Santiago Lima; Tiago Antônio de Oliveira Mendes; Adilson Sartoratto; Maira de Paula Sousa; Rodrigo Suhett de Souza; Sérgio Oliveira de Paula; Valéria Maia de Oliveira; Cynthia Canêdo da Silva

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109294

Heterotrophic nitrifying/aerobic denitrifying bacteria: Ammonium removal under different physical-chemical conditions and molecular characterization

J Environ Manage. 2019 Oct 15:248:109294. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109294. Epub 2019 Jul 31.

Authors

Lívia Carneiro Fidélis Silva¹, Helena Santiago Lima², Tiago Antônio de Oliveira Mendes³, Adilson Sartoratto⁴, Maira de Paula Sousa⁵, Rodrigo Suhett de Souza⁶, Sérgio Oliveira de Paula⁷, Valéria Maia de Oliveira⁸, Cynthia Canêdo da Silva⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: livia.silva@ufv.br.
² Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: hsantiagolima@gmail.com.
³ Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: tiagomgmendes@yahoo.com.br.
⁴ Division of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pluridisciplinary Center for Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Research, Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: adilson@cpqba.unicamp.br.
⁵ Petrobras - Research and Development Center, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: mpsousa@petrobras.com.br.
⁶ Petrobras - Research and Development Center, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: rsuhett@petrobras.com.br.
⁷ Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: depaula@ufv.br.
⁸ Division of Microbial Resources, Pluridisciplinary Center for Chemical, Biological and Agricultural Research, Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: vmaia@cpqba.unicamp.br.
⁹ Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: ccanedo@ufv.br.

PMID: 31376616
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109294

Abstract

Biological ammonium removal via heterotrophic nitrification/aerobic denitrification (HN/AD) was characterized for two isolates from a wastewater treatment station (WWTS). They were identified as Pseudomonas balearica UFV3 and Gordonia amicalis UFV4. Their ability to remove ammonium via NH/DA was validated by chromatography, and the influence of different physical-chemical factors on removal was evaluated. The presence of genes involved in conventional nitrification and denitrification processes was investigated via PCR and comparative genomics. Both isolates removed 100% of the ammonium in a medium containing citrate as its carbon source with a C/N ratio of 8, 3% salt, pH 7 and 30 °C. Nitrogen balance showed that approximately 55% of the ammonium removed was lost as N_2(g), and 45% was assimilated. Molecular characterization revealed the absence of genes involved in autotrophic nitrification in the genome of the two isolates and the presence of genes involved in anaerobic denitrification only in P. balearica UFV3, suggesting the involvement of other genes in the HN/AD process. This was the first report of G. amicalis and P. balearica with the capability for HN/AD.

Keywords: Biological nitrogen removal; Comparative genomics; Gordonia amicalis; Pseudomonas balearica.

MeSH terms

Aerobiosis
Ammonium Compounds*
Denitrification
Heterotrophic Processes
Nitrification
Nitrites
Nitrogen

Substances

Ammonium Compounds
Nitrites
Nitrogen