Nitrite Oxidation Across the Full Oxygen Spectrum in the Ocean

Sun, Xin; Frey, Claudia; Ward, Bess B.

doi:10.1029/2022gb007548

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…To simplify, we can assume is negligible when oxygen is inaccessible (ignoring potential anaerobic metabolism ( 11, 12, 20 )). Also, if the nitrogen resource (nitrite for NOB or ammonium for AOA) is abundant, then μ N may approach the maximum growth rate (μ max ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Multiple explanations for nitrification in AMZs have been proposed ( 20 ). The high oxygen affinities of both AOA and NOB suggest that these microbes can survive at nanomolar oxygen concentrations ( 8, 19 ), although these chemoautotrophs are unlikely to outcompete facultatively aerobic heterotrophs for oxygen ( 21 ).…”

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The high oxygen affinities of both AOA and NOB suggest that these microbes can survive at nanomolar oxygen concentrations ( 8, 19 ), although these chemoautotrophs are unlikely to outcompete facultatively aerobic heterotrophs for oxygen ( 21 ). Alternatively, certain clades of NOB and AOA may have evolved nitrite oxidation pathways using electron acceptors other than oxygen ( 11, 12, 20, 22 ).…”

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Oxygen intrusions sustain aerobic nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in anoxic marine zones

Buchanan

Sun

Weissman

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Anoxic marine zones (AMZs) are host to anaerobic metabolisms that drive losses of bioavailable nitrogen from the ocean. The discovery of active nitrite-oxidising bacteria (NOB), long thought to be obligately aerobic, in AMZs has altered our perception of how nitrogen cycles in these oxygen-deficient waters. Yet, why NOB succeed in AMZs remains unclear. Here, we show that obligately aerobic NOB can thrive alongside aerobic microheterotrophs in AMZs via infrequent intrusions of oxygen. Ecological theory, biogeochemical modelling and metagenome-based maximum growth rate estimates suggest that NOB are opportunists that take advantage of periodic oxygen intrusions to rapidly accumulate biomass. Rather than harsh, AMZs prone to oxygen intrusions appear optimal for NOB, whose abundance and activity peaks in a goldilocks zone of periodic oxygen and high nitrite supply. Our results recast the intermediate disturbance hypothesis to AMZs and highlight how the nitrogen cycle relies on dynamic coexistence of aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Oxygen intrusions sustain aerobic nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in anoxic marine zones

Buchanan

Sun

Weissman

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…A widespread influence of nitrite oxidation in marine ODZs (T.S. Martin et al, 2019a;Babbin et al, 2020;Buchanan et al, 2023;Sun et al, 2023) thus suggests that the isotope effect for water column denitrification is likely lower than 25‰, which would require less benthic denitrification to balance the N isotope budget.…”

Section: Understanding Nitrogen Cycling and Loss In Oxygen Deficient ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in Understanding the Marine Nitrogen Cycle in the GEOTRACES Era

Casciotti,

Marshall,

Fawcett

et al. 2024

Oceanog

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Because nitrogen availability limits primary production over much of the global ocean, understanding the controls on the marine nitrogen inventory and supply to the surface ocean is essential for understanding biological productivity and exchange of greenhouse gases with the atmosphere. Quantifying the ocean’s inputs, outputs, and internal cycling of nitrogen requires a variety of tools and approaches, including measurements of the nitrogen isotope ratio in organic and inorganic nitrogen species. The marine nitrogen cycle, which shapes nitrogen availability and speciation in the ocean, is linked to the elemental cycles of carbon, phosphorus, and trace elements. For example, the majority of nitrogen cycle oxidation and reduction reactions are mediated by enzymes that require trace metals for catalysis. Recent observations made through global-scale programs such as GEOTRACES have greatly expanded our knowledge of the marine nitrogen cycle. Though much work remains to be done, here we outline key advances in understanding the marine nitrogen cycle that have been achieved through these analyses, such as the distributions and rates of dinitrogen fixation, terrestrial nitrogen inputs, and nitrogen loss processes.

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All about nitrite: exploring nitrite sources and sinks in the eastern tropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone

Tracey¹,

Babbin²,

Wallace³

et al. 2023

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), due to their large volumes of perennially deoxygenated waters, are critical regions for understanding how the interplay between anaerobic and aerobic nitrogen (N) cycling microbial pathways affects the marine N budget. Here, we present a suite of measurements of the most significant OMZ N cycling rates, which all involve nitrite (NO2-) as a product, reactant, or intermediate, in the eastern tropical North Pacific (ETNP) OMZ. These measurements and comparisons to data from previously published OMZ cruises present additional evidence that NO3- reduction is the predominant OMZ N flux, followed by NO2- oxidation back to NO3-. The combined rates of both of these N recycling processes were observed to be much greater (up to nearly 200 times) than the combined rates of the N loss processes of anammox and denitrification, especially in waters near the anoxic–oxic interface. We also show that NO2- oxidation can occur when O2 is maintained near 1 nM by a continuous-purge system, NO2- oxidation and O2 measurements that further strengthen the case for truly anaerobic NO2- oxidation. We also evaluate the possibility that NO2- dismutation provides the oxidative power for anaerobic NO2- oxidation. The partitioning of N loss between anammox and denitrification differed widely from stoichiometric predictions of at most 29 % anammox; in fact, N loss rates at many depths were entirely due to anammox. Our new NO3- reduction, NO2- oxidation, dismutation, and N loss data shed light on many open questions in OMZ N cycling research, especially the possibility of truly anaerobic NO2- oxidation.

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Nitrite Oxidation Across the Full Oxygen Spectrum in the Ocean

Cited by 4 publications

References 72 publications

Oxygen intrusions sustain aerobic nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in anoxic marine zones

Oxygen intrusions sustain aerobic nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in anoxic marine zones

Advances in Understanding the Marine Nitrogen Cycle in the GEOTRACES Era

All about nitrite: exploring nitrite sources and sinks in the eastern tropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone

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