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Nitrate assimilation by marine heterotrophic bacteria

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Abstract

Nitrate assimilation is a process where bacteria utilize nitrate as a nitrogen source and synthesize it into organic nitrogen. We found that nitrate-assimilating bacteria (NAB) are widely distributed in various marine environments, from surface to the deep ocean and sediment, which indicates that NAB are significant to the oceanic nitrogen cycle. Comparative genomic analysis revealed nitrate-assimilating genes (nasA) in these marine heterotrophic NAB showed different gene arrangements and diverse regulation systems. Summary on recent findings will contribute to understanding the process of nitrate assimilation in NAB and their ecological significance in the nitrogen cycle. A systematic analysis of a number of studies on bacterial nitrate assimilation in marine ecological systems was conducted to clarify directions for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China

    XueXia Jiang & NianZhi Jiao

  2. Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China

    XueXia Jiang & NianZhi Jiao

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  1. XueXia Jiang
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  2. NianZhi Jiao
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Correspondence to NianZhi Jiao.

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Jiang, X., Jiao, N. Nitrate assimilation by marine heterotrophic bacteria. Sci. China Earth Sci. 59, 477–483 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-015-5212-5

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