Evidence for the Cooccurrence of Nitrite-Dependent Anaerobic Ammonium and Methane Oxidation Processes in a Flooded Paddy Field

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) are two of the most recent discoveries in the microbial nitrogen cycle. In the present study, we provide direct evidence for the cooccurrence of the anammox and n-damo processes in a flooded paddy field in southeastern China. Stable isotope experiments showed that the potential anammox rates ranged from 5.6 to 22.7 nmol N-2 g(-1) (dry weight) day(-1) and the potential n-damo rates varied from 0.2 to 2.1 nmolCO(2) g(-1) (dry weight) day(-1) in different layers of soil cores. Quantitative PCR showed that the abundance of anammox bacteria ranged from 1.0 x 105 to 2.0 x10(6) copies g(-1) (dry weight) in different layers of soil cores and the abundance of n-damo bacteria varied from 3.8 x 10(5) to 6.1 x 10(6) copies g(-1) (dry weight). Phylogenetic analyses of the recovered 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that anammox bacteria affiliated with Candidatus Brocadia and Candidatus Kuenenia and n-damo bacteria related to Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyferawere present in the soil cores. It is estimated that a total loss of 50.7 g Nm(-2) per year could be linked to the anammox process, which is at intermediate levels for the nitrogen flux ranges of aerobic ammonium oxidation and denitrification reported in wetland soils. In addition, it is estimated that a total of 0.14 g CH4 m(- 2) per year could be oxidized via the n-damo process, while this rate is at the lower end of the aerobic methane oxidation rates reported in wetland soils.