Growth and N2O production of Nitrosocosmicus clade in agricultural soil when responding to high ammonium inputs

• Published in: Journal of soils and sediments Vol. 23; no. 9; pp. 3458 - 3471
• Main Authors: Jiang, Yiming, Wu, Junlin, Liu, Mengfan, Zhu, Yueyue, Wen, Qinqing, Lin, Weitie, Luo, Jianfei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abundance; Agricultural land; Ammonia; Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; Ammonium; Ammonium compounds; AmoA gene; Archaea; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Physics; Fertilizers; Growth; Microcosms; Moisture content; Nitrogen; Nitrous oxide; Nomada agrestis; Oxidation; Relative abundance; Sec 5 • Soil and Landscape Ecology • Research Article; Sediments; Soil; Soil Science & Conservation; Soils; Ammonia-oxidizing archaea; Nitrous oxide; Ammonium tolerance
• ISSN: 1439-0108; 1614-7480
• DOI: 10.1007/s11368-023-03547-2

Purpose In recent years, some ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) species from the Nitrosocosmicus clade have been suggested to be ammonium tolerant, with ability close to many ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) species. However, the Nitrosocosmicus clade growth and contribution to N 2 O production in agricultural soil when responding to high ammonium inputs are still unknown. Methods Based on three microcosms, the effects of ammonium inputs on the abundance of Nitrosocosmicus clade in AOA community, the Nitrosocosmicus clade growth, and contribution to N 2 O production were investigated. Based on batch cultivation of Candidatus Nitrosocosmicus agrestis ( Ca. N. agrestis) and the microcosm with extra addition of Ca. N. agrestis, AOA contribution to N 2 O production was studied. Results High ammonium inputs benefited the abundance increase of Nitrosocosmicus clade, with relative abundance increased from 2.6 to 9.1–15.5% of the AOA community in DNA samples, and from 1.4 to 15.1–47.5% in RNA samples. High ammonium inputs promoted the growth of Nitrosocosmicus clade, with number accounting for 16.9–22.9% of the total AOA but 48.5–74.2% of the increased AOA. High ammonium inputs also activated the expression of Nitrosocosmicus clade amoA gene. Due to the presence of Nitrosocosmicus clade, high ammonium inputs increased the contribution of AOA to N 2 O production; in the presence of Ca. N. agrestis, the contribution of AOA to N 2 O production is comparable to AOB when responding to high ammonium inputs. Conclusion The Nitrosocosmicus clade in agricultural soils is likely ammonium tolerant; its growth and contribution to N 2 O production could be favored by high ammonium inputs.