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Research of Iron Reduction and the Iron Reductase Localization of Anammox Bacteria

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Abstract

The iron-reducing capability of anammox bacteria was examined in this study using Percoll purified anammox bacteria. Anammox bacteria could reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II) with organic matters as the electron donor. The activity of anammox iron-reducing process was dependent on different electron donor, acceptor and pH. The highest iron-reducing activity of anammox bacteria was achieved with Fe(III)-NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid) as electron acceptor and formate as the electron donor at pH7. Similar to other iron reducers, 80 % of the iron reductase in anammox bacteria was located in the membrane fraction. Due to the chemical oxidant of NO2 − and the NO3 − dependent ferrous iron oxidation by anammox bacteria, the iron-reducing activity of anammox bacteria could be severely inhibited when iron-reducing pathway and the anammox process were coupled. However, the total nitrogen removal efficiency was not significantly affected in the presence of Fe(III). The iron-reducing capability of anammox bacteria could influence both N and Fe cycle on earth, and it is a potential way for wastewater treatment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to show our deepest gratitude to the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20110041110002) and Major State Science and Technology Water Projects (No.2013ZX07202010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of technology, Linggong Road 2, Dalian, 116024, China

    Ran Zhao, Hanmin Zhang, Yifei Li & Fenglin Yang

  2. Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Road, Xiamen, 36021, China

    Tao Jiang

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  1. Ran Zhao
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  2. Hanmin Zhang
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  3. Yifei Li
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  4. Tao Jiang
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Correspondence to Hanmin Zhang.

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Zhao, R., Zhang, H., Li, Y. et al. Research of Iron Reduction and the Iron Reductase Localization of Anammox Bacteria. Curr Microbiol 69, 880–887 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-014-0668-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-014-0668-7

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