Ammonium addition inhibits 13C-methane incorporation into methanotroph membrane lipids in a freshwater sediment

Abstract To investigate the effect of ammonium addition on the species composition and activity of freshwater methane oxidizing bacteria, intact sediment cores were labeled with 13CH4 and incubated under ambient and elevated ammonium concentrations. After 7 days, methanotroph activity was assessed b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FEMS microbiology ecology 1999-05, Vol.29 (1), p.81-89
Main Authors: Nold, Stephen C., Boschker, Henricus T.S., Pel, Roel, Laanbroek, Hendrikus J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ammonium
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomarkers
Carbon
Carbon 13
Composition
Cores
Ecology
Fertilization
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lipid
Lipids
Membranes
Metabolism. Enzymes
Methane
Methanotrophic bacteria
Microbial ecology
Microbiology
Oxidation
Sediment
Sediments
Species composition
Stable carbon isotope
Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water)
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Summary:Abstract To investigate the effect of ammonium addition on the species composition and activity of freshwater methane oxidizing bacteria, intact sediment cores were labeled with 13CH4 and incubated under ambient and elevated ammonium concentrations. After 7 days, methanotroph activity was assessed by quantifying the isotopic composition of the carbon in membrane lipids. The 16-carbon rather than the 18-carbon methanotroph-specific biomarkers showed a clear enrichment in 13C, suggesting the importance of group I methanotrophs in these sediments. Ammonium addition resulted in a depleted isotopic signal compared to ambient controls, suggesting that high ammonium concentrations inhibit methane incorporation into cellular components. These results compare favorably with studies that showed ammonium inhibition of methane oxidation, and extend these findings by demonstrating the effect of nitrogen fertilization on methanotroph lipid synthesis.
ISSN:0168-6496
1574-6941
DOI:10.1111/j.1574-6941.1999.tb00600.x