Archaeabacteria in soil possibly of greater ecological importance

21 August 2006

In an article by the Dutch daily NRC an article in 'Nature' written by, among others, Christa Schleper (Noorwegen, universiteit van Bergen) is brought to the attention of a wider audience. The researchers present indications that the contribution to the production of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide (laughing gass) by arachaeabacteria may be far bigger than expected. The role of 'ordinary' bacteria in soil in producing these two gasses (that many consider to be contributing to the 'greenhouse effect') has been known much longer.

In various European soils it now has been demonstrated that the vast majority of copies of the ammoniummonooxygenase-gene stems from archaeabacteria and not from the (much bigger) bacteria. The corresponding enzyme takes care of the first step in nitrification, a series of reactions transforming ammonium into more oxidised forms of nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate, and the two aforementioned gasses. 
In the clipping, Professor Mike Jetten, of the Dutch Radboud university in Nijmegen, well known, for instance, because of his work with 'anammoxbacteria', points out that the important role for archaea in oceanic nutrient cycli, has been already recognised.

source: Dutch daily NRC, 17 august 2006