Marine ammonia-oxidizing archaeal isolates display obligate mixotrophy and wide ecotypic variation

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) influence the form and availability of nitrogen in marine environments and are a major contributor to N2O release and plausible indirect source of methane in the upper ocean. Thus, their sensitivity to ocean acidification and other physicochemical changes associated w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Main Authors: Qin, Wei, Amin, Shady A., Martens-Habbena, Willm, Walker, Christopher B., Urakawa, Hidetoshi, Devol, Allan H., Ingalls, Anitra E., Moffett, James W., Armbrust, E. Virginia, Stahl, David A.
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: National Academy of Sciences 2014
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
Ocean acidification
Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4151751
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25114236
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1324115111
Description
Summary:Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) influence the form and availability of nitrogen in marine environments and are a major contributor to N2O release and plausible indirect source of methane in the upper ocean. Thus, their sensitivity to ocean acidification and other physicochemical changes associated with climate change has global significance. Here, we report on the physiological response of marine AOA isolates to key environmental variables. Although reported as highly sensitive to reduction in ocean pH, we now show that some coastal marine AOA can remain active with increasing acidification of the oceans. All AOA isolates assimilate fixed carbon and two are obligate mixotrophs, suggesting this globally significant assemblage serves a significant function in coupling chemolithotrophy with organic matter assimilation in marine food webs.

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