Exploring the Functions of Efficient Canonical Denitrifying Bacteria as N2O Sinks: Implications from 15N Tracer and Transcriptome Analyses.

In denitrifying reactors, canonical complete denitrifying bacteria reduce nitrate (NO3-) to nitrogen via N2O. However, they can also produce N2O under certain conditions. We used a 15N tracer method, in which 15N-labeled NO3-/nitrite (NO2-) and nonlabeled N2O were simultaneously supplied with organic electron donors to five canonical complete denitrifying bacteria affiliated with either Clade I or Clade II nosZ. We calculated their NO3-, NO2-, and N2O consumption rates. The Clade II nosZ bacterium Azospira sp. strain I13 had the highest N2O consumption rate (3.47 ± 0.07 fmol/cell/h) and the second lowest NO3- consumption rate (0.20 ± 0.03 fmol/cell/h); hence, it is a N2O sink. A change from peptone- to acetate/citrate-based organic electron donors increased the NO3- consumption rate by 4.8 fold but barely affected the N2O consumption rate. Electron flow was directed to N2O rather than NO3- in Azospira sp. strain I13 and Az. oryzae strain PS only exerting a N2O sink but to NO3- in the Clade I nosZ N2O-reducing bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri strain JCM 5965 and Alicycliphilus denitrificans strain I51. Transcriptome analyses revealed that the genotype could not fully describe the phenotype. The results show that N2O production and consumption differ among canonical denitrifying bacteria and will be useful for developing N2O mitigation strategies.