• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Low Temperature and Neutral pH Define “ Candidatus Nitrotoga sp.” as a Competitive Nitrite Oxidizer in Coculture with Nitrospira defluvii
  • Contributor: Wegen, Simone; Nowka, Boris; Spieck, Eva
  • Published: American Society for Microbiology, 2019
  • Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 85 (2019) 9
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1128/aem.02569-18
  • ISSN: 1098-5336; 0099-2240
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: “ Ca. Nitrotoga” is a NOB of high environmental relevance, but physiological data exist for only a few representatives. Initially, it was detected in specialized niches of low temperature and low nitrite concentrations, but later on, its ubiquitous distribution revealed its critical role for N removal in engineered systems like WWTPs. In this study, we analyzed the competition between Nitrotoga and Nitrospira in bioreactors and identified conditions where the K strategist Ns. defluvii was almost replaced by Nitrotoga sp. BS. We show that the pH value is an important factor that regulates the composition of the nitrite-oxidizing enrichment with a dominance of Nitrotoga sp. BS versus Ns. defluvii at a neutral pH of 7.4 in combination with a temperature of 17°C. The physiological diversity of novel Nitrotoga cultures improves our knowledge about niche differentiation of NOB with regard to functional nitrification under suboptimal conditions.
  • Access State: Open Access