Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification by novel isolated bacteria

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

Three novel strains capable of heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification were isolated from the landfill leachate treatment system. Based on their phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, the isolates were identified as Agrobacterium sp. LAD9, Achromobacter sp. GAD3 and Comamonas sp. GAD4, respectively. Batch tests were carried out to evaluate the growth and the ammonia removal patterns. The maximum growth rates as determined from the growth curve were 0.286, 0.228, and 0.433 h−1 for LAD9, GAD3 and GAD4, respectively. The maximum aerobic nitrification–denitrification rate was achieved by the strain GAD4 of 0.381 mmol/l h, followed by LAD9 of 0.374 mmol/l h and GAD3 of 0.346 mmol/l h. Moreover, hydroxylamine oxidase and periplasmic nitrate reductase were successfully expressed in all the isolates. The relationship between the enzyme activities and the aerobic nitrification–denitrification rates revealed that hydroxylamine oxidation may be the rate-limiting step in the heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification process. The study results are of great significance to the wastewater treatment systems where simultaneous removal of carbon and nitrogen is desired.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anderson IC, Poth M, Homstead J, Burdige D (1993) A comparison of NO and N2O production by the autotrophic nitrifier Nitrosomonas europaea and the heterotrophic nitrifier Alcaligenes faecalis. Appl Environ Microbiol 59:3525–3533

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bai YH, Sun QH, Zhao C, Wen DH, Tang XY (2009) Aerobic degradation of pyridine by a new bacterial strain, Shinella zoogloeoides BC026. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 36:1391–1400

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gupta AB (1997) Thiosphaera pantotropha: a sulphur bacterium capable of simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification. Enzyme Microb Technol 21:589–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gupta AB, Gupta SK (2001) Simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal from high strength domestic wastewater in an aerobic RBC biofilm. Water Res 35:1714–1722

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Heuer H, Krsek M, Baker P, Smalla K, Wellington EMH (1997) Analysis of Actinomycete communities by specific amplification of genes encoding 16S rRNA and gel-electrophoretic separation in denaturing gradients. Appl Environ Microbiol 63:3233–3241

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Huang HK, Tseng SK (2001) Nitrate reduction by Citrobacter diversus under aerobic environment. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 55:90–94

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Joo HS, Hirai M, Shoda M (2005) Characteristics of ammonium removal by heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification by Alcaligenes faecalis No. 4. J Biosci Bioeng 100:184–191

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Joo HS, Hirai M, Shoda M (2005) Nitrification and denitrification in high-strength ammonium by Alcaligenes faecalis. Biotechnol Lett 27:773–778

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Joo HS, Hirai M, Shoda M (2007) Improvement in ammonium removal efficiency in wastewater treatment by mixed culture of Alcaligenes faecalis No. 4 and L1. J Biosci Bioeng 103:66–73

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Khardenavis AA, Kapley A, Purohit HJ (2007) Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification by diverse Diaphorobacter sp. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 77:403–409

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kim JK, Park KJ, Cho KS, Nam SW, Park TJ, Bajpai R (2005) Aerobic nitrification-denitrification by heterotrophic Bacillus strains. Bioresour Technol 96:1897–1906

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ (1951) Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Matsuzaka E, Nomura N, Nakajima-Kambe T, Okada N, Nakaharai T (2003) A simple screening procedure for heterotrophic nitrifying bacteria with oxygen-tolerant denitrification activity. J Biosci Bioeng 95:409–411

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Moir JWB, Crossman LC, Spiro S, Richardson DJ (1996) The purification of ammonia monooxygenase from Paracoccus denitrificans. Febs Lett 387:71–74

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Nishio T, Yoshikura T, Mishima H, Inouye Z, Itoh H (1998) Conditions for nitrification and denitrification by an immobilized heterotrophic nitrifying bacterium Alcaligenes faecalis OKK17. J Ferment Bioeng 86:351–356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Otte S, Schalk J, Kuenen JG, Jetten MSM (1999) Hydroxylamine oxidation and subsequent nitrous oxide production by the heterotrophic ammonia oxidizer Alcaligenes faecalis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 51:255–261

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Patureau D, Zumstein E, Delgenes JP, Moletta R (2000) Aerobic denitrifiers isolated from diverse natural and managed ecosystems. Microb Ecol 39:145–152

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Richardson DJ, Wehrfritz JM, Keech A, Crossman LC, Roldan MD, Sears HJ, Butler CS, Reilly A, Moir JWB, Berks BC, Ferguson SJ, Thomson AJ, Spiro S (1998) The diversity of redox proteins involved in bacterial heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification. In: 665th meeting of the Royal-Irish-Academy-lecture on peptide metabolism in cytoplasm of brain cells. Hants, England

  19. Robertson LA, Kuenen JG, Kleijntjens R (1985) Aerobic denitrification and heterotrophic nitrification by Thiosphaera pantotropha. J Microbiol 51:445

    Google Scholar 

  20. Robertson LA, van Niel EWJ, Torremans RAM, Kuenen JG (1988) Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in aerobic chemostat cultures of Thiosphaera pantotropha. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:2812–2818

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Robertson LA, Kuenen JG (1990) Combined heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification in Thiosphaera pantotropha and other bacteria. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 57:139–152

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Shaw JG, Kelly DJ (1991) Binding-protein dependent transport of C4-dicarboxylates in Rhodobacter capsulatus. Arch Microbiol 155:466–472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Su JJ, Yeh KS, Tseng PW (2006) A strain of Pseudomonas sp. isolated from piggery wastewater treatment systems with heterotrophic nitrification capability in Taiwan. Curr Microbiol 53:77–81

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Takaya N, Catalan-Sakairi MAB, Sakaguchi Y, Kato I, Zhou ZM, Shoun H (2003) Aerobic denitrifying bacteria that produce low levels of nitrous oxide. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:3152–3157

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Taylor SM, He YL, Zhao B, Huang J (2009) Heterotrophic ammonium removal characteristics of an aerobic heterotrophic nitrifying-denitrifying bacterium, Providencia rettgeri YL. J Environ Sci 21:1336–1341

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. van Niel EWJ, Braber KJ, Robertson LA, Kuenen JG (1992) Heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification in Alcaligenes faecalis strain TUD. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 62:231–237

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Wehrfritz JM, Reilly A, Spiro S, Richardson DJ (1993) Purification of hydroxylamine oxidase from Thiosphaera pantotropha-identification of electron accepters that couple heterotrophic nitrification to aerobic denitrification. Febs Lett 335:246–250

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wehrfritz JM, Carter JP, Spiro S, Richardson DJ (1996) Hydroxylamine oxidation in heterotrophic nitrate-reducing soil bacteria and purification of a hydroxylamine-cytochrome c oxidoreductase from a Pseudomonas species. Arch Microbiol 166:421–424

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Zhao B, He YL, Huang J, Taylor S, Hughes J (2010) Heterotrophic nitrogen removal by Providencia rettgeri strain YL. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 37:609–616

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Zhao B, He YL, Hughes J, Zhang XF (2010) Heterotrophic nitrogen removal by a newly isolated Acinetobacter calcoaceticus HNR. Bioresour Technol 101:5194–5200

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Special program on water pollution control (No. 2008ZX07212).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Urban Habitat Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, 518055, Shenzhen, China

    Qian Chen & Jinren Ni

  2. Department of Environmental Engineering, Peking University, The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, 5 Yiheyuan Road, 100871, Beijing, China

    Qian Chen & Jinren Ni

Authors
  1. Qian Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinren Ni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jinren Ni.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, Q., Ni, J. Heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification by novel isolated bacteria. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 38, 1305–1310 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-010-0911-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-010-0911-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation