Ammonia Oxidation and Nitrite Reduction in the Verrucomicrobial Methanotroph Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum SolV
Journal: Frontiers in Microbiology
Year: 2017

The Solfatara volcano near Naples (Italy), the origin of the recently discovered verrucomicrobial methanotroph <i>Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum</i> SolV was shown to contain ammonium ([Formula: see text]) at concentrations ranging from 1 to 28 mM. Ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) can be converted to toxic hydroxylamine (NH<sub>2</sub>OH) by the particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), the first enzyme of the methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) oxidation pathway. Methanotrophs rapidly detoxify the intermediate NH