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Heterotrophic Nitrifying and Oxygen Tolerant Denitrifying Bacteria from Greenwater System of Coastal Aquaculture

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Abstract

In this work, herbivorous fish Mugil cephalus has been cultured to secrete protein rich green slime, which helps nitrifying and oxygen tolerant denitrifying bacteria to grow and colonize. Four strains representing Alcaligenaceae family have been isolated from greenwater system and characterized using biochemical test, fatty acid methyl ester (GC-FAME) analysis, 16S rRNA and functional gene approaches. They were tested for an ability to nitrify ammonia and nitrite aerobically. Two strains showed notable nitrification activity, when grown in a mineral salts medium containing ammonium sulfate and potassium nitrite. Functional gene analysis confirmed the presence of nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) gene showing that they have an oxygen-tolerant denitrification system. It has been proposed that Alcaligenes faecalis strains heterotrophically nitrify ammonia into nitrite via formation of hydroxyl amine, which is oxidized to nitrous oxide using oxygen or nitrite as electron acceptor. These results provide a possible advantage of having nitrification and denitrification capabilities in the same organism, which plays an important role in biological wastewater system.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. A.G. Ponniah, Director, Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai for providing facilities to carry out this work. Financial assistance from Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, 75, Santhome High Road, RA Puram, Chennai, 600028, India

    Kathiravan Velusamy

  2. National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management, School of Edaphic Stress Management, Baramati (Dist. Pune), 413 115, India

    Kishore Kumar Krishnani

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  1. Kathiravan Velusamy
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Correspondence to Kishore Kumar Krishnani.

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Velusamy, K., Krishnani, K.K. Heterotrophic Nitrifying and Oxygen Tolerant Denitrifying Bacteria from Greenwater System of Coastal Aquaculture. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 169, 1978–1992 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-013-0109-2

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