Unlocking Nitrogen Loss: The Role of Hydrogen in Cyanobacterial Aggregates
Key Ideas
- Molecular hydrogen (H2) serves as a crucial energy carrier in the microbial world and played a significant role in the early Earth's atmosphere.
- Interspecies hydrogen transfer (IHT) between cyanobacteria and symbiotic bacteria within cyanobacterial aggregates is a previously unrecognized pathway for nitrogen loss.
- Engineered cyanobacterial aggregates operated under a diurnal cycle demonstrated superior nitrogen removal rates without the need for external electron donors.
- The study highlights the importance of hydrogenotrophic denitrifiers in cyanobacterial aggregates in driving hydrogenotrophic denitrification, impacting nitrogen cycling in eutrophic aquatic ecosystems.
The article delves into the role of molecular hydrogen (H2) in the microbial world, particularly focusing on its significance in cyanobacterial aggregates. Molecular hydrogen acted as an essential energy carrier in the primordial stages of Earth's development. Recent studies have shed light on the microbial capacity to utilize trace H2 for growth, impacting nitrogen cycling in anaerobic environments. Interspecies hydrogen transfer (IHT) between H2-producing microbes like cyanobacteria and hydrogenotrophic microbes presents a symbiotic metabolism pathway for nitrogen loss, previously overlooked in natural environments. The study conducted on engineered cyanobacterial aggregates showcased superior nitrogen removal rates without external electron donors, demonstrating the importance of H2 in driving nitrogen loss. The research suggests that hydrogenotrophic denitrifiers within cyanobacterial aggregates play a crucial role in hydrogenotrophic denitrification processes, influencing nitrogen cycling in eutrophic aquatic ecosystems. Metagenomic analysis of globally distributed cyanobacterial aggregates further confirms the universality of IHT-driven hydrogenotrophic denitrification, emphasizing its impact on the biogeochemical cycle.
Topics
Production
Energy Carrier
Metagenomics
Nitrate Reduction
Microbial World
Nitrogen Cycling
Symbiotic Metabolism
Biogeochemical Cycle
Phototrophic Mats
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