Nitrifying Bacteria and Archaea: Ammonia Oxidizers

Key Genera: Nitrosomonas, Nitrosospira, Nitrosopumilus

Ammonia oxidizers are found in the Beta- (e.g., Nitrosomonas,
Nitrosospira, Nitrosolobus, Nitrosovibrio) and Gammaproteobacteria
(Nitrosococcus), and in the archaeal phylum Thaumarchaeota
(Nitrosopumilus, Nitrosocaldus, Nitrosoarchaeum, Nitrososphaera).
Ammonia oxidizers are widespread in soil and water. Bacterial
ammonia-oxidizers are present in highest numbers in habitats
where NH3 is abundant, such as sites with extensive protein
decomposition (ammonification), and also in sewage treatment
facilities ( Section 21.6). Nitrifying bacteria develop especially
well in lakes and streams that receive inputs of sewage or other
wastewaters because these are frequently high in NH3. Nitrosomonas
is often observed in the activated sludge present in aerobic
wastewater treatment facilities. Bacterial ammonia-oxidizers
are also common in soils (e.g., Nitrosospira, Nitrosovibrio) and in
the oceans (e.g., Nitrosococcus).
Archaeal ammonia-oxidizers ( Section 16.6) appear to be most
common in habitats where NH3 is present in low concentration.
These organisms are thought to be the dominant ammonia oxidizers
in the oceans where ammonia levels are very low ( Sections 19.9
and 19.11). Archaeal ammonia-oxidizers are also common in soils,
and in some soils they outnumber bacterial ammonia-oxidizers by
several orders of magnitude. The availability of NH3 relative to NH4
+
declines with pH, and thus acid soils (pH 6 6.5), which are common,
may favor organisms able to grow at low NH3 concentration.
Nitrifying Bacteria: Nitrite Oxidizers
Key Genera: Nitrospira, Nitrobacter
Nitrite oxidizers are found in the classes Alpha- (Nitrobacter),
Beta- (Nitrotoga), Gamma- (Nitrococcus), and Deltaproteobacteria
(Nitrospina), as well as in the phylum Nitrospira ( Section 15.21).
Like nitrite-oxidizing Proteobacteria, Nitrospira oxidizes nitrite
(NO2
-) to nitrate (NO3
-) and grows autotrophically (Figure 14.34).