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Nitrogen removal characteristics and predicted conversion pathways of a heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa P-1

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Abstract

In this study, the heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P-1) strain was investigated, and the N transformation pathway was revealed. The highest removal rates of NH4+, NO3−, and NO2− (9.29, 6.12, and 3.72 mg L−1 h−1, respectively) by this strain were higher than those by most reported bacteria and were achieved when the carbon source was glucose, C/N ratio was 15, pH was 8, temperature was 30 °C, and shaking speed was 200 rpm. The removal order and characteristics of three N sources were investigated in Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the first time. The results revealed that P-1 preferentially nitrified NH4+ and only began to denitrify NO2− and NO3− when NH4+ was almost entirely depleted. Isotopic labeling of N sources revealed that P-1 uses both partial and complete nitrification/denitrification pathways that can operate either simultaneously or independently, depending on the availability of different types of N compounds, with N2 as the final gaseous product and virtually no NO2− accumulation. Moreover, the P-1 strain could convert various nitrogen compounds under high salinity (40 g L−1) and high concentrations of Cu2+, Zn2+, Cr6+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ (50 mg L−1). Therefore, P-1 could be used as an alternative of inorganic N-removal bacteria in practical applications.

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Funding

This work was supported by Wenzhou Science and Technology major project (grant number ZS2017001), Basic public welfare research projects in Zhejiang Province (grant number LGF18E090007,; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 41877114, 41907219, 31670008, 31870005).

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Author notes

  1. Ran Wei and Cai Hui contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Ran Wei, Cai Hui, Yiping Zhang, Hui Jiang & Yuhua Zhao

  2. Department of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Wenzhou Vocational College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou, 325006, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Linna Du

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  1. Ran Wei
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  2. Cai Hui
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Correspondence to Linna Du.

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Highlights

• Nitrification of NH4+ occurred prior to denitrification of NO2− and NO3−.

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa P-1 performed well under salt and heavy metal ion stresses.

• In NH4+, NO2−, and NO3− transformations, the final gaseous product was N2.

• The N transformation pathway was determined by the nitrogen source substrate type.

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Wei, R., Hui, C., Zhang, Y. et al. Nitrogen removal characteristics and predicted conversion pathways of a heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa P-1. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 7503–7514 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11066-7

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