• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Saturday, August 2, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Biology

Small but versatile

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
December 10, 2018
in Biology
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Key players in the marine nitrogen cycle can utilize cyanate and urea

IMAGE

Credit: © K. Kitzinger / Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology


The ammonia oxidizing archaea, or Thaumarchaeota, are amongst the most abundant marine microorganisms. Yet, we are still discovering which factors allow them to thrive in the ocean: A new publication reveals that marine Thaumarchaeota have a broader metabolism than previously thought.

The Thaumarchaeota play a key role in the marine nitrogen cycle. They gain energy for growth by converting ammonia, which is the most reduced form of inorganic nitrogen, to a more oxidized form: nitrite. These so-called ammonia oxidizing archaea were discovered little more than a decade ago, yet these organisms make up a large part of the marine microbial community, thriving in the oceans despite ammonium being present only at very low concentrations.

Even though the Thaumarchaeota are such a key part of the marine nitrogen cycle, little is known about the physiology of these small and enigmatic microorganisms. In general, they are considered to be metabolically restricted, relying on ammonia as an energy source. A new study by Katharina Kitzinger and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, the University of Vienna, Austria, the Georgia Institute for Technology, USA, the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany, and the University of Bremen, Germany, now reveals that this is not quite true. Rather, the authors show that marine ammonia oxidizing archaea can also utilize organic nitrogen sources. “We show for the first time that both environmental and cultured marine ammonia oxidizing archaea can use cyanate, a simple organic nitrogen compound, as an additional energy source”, Kitzinger explains. Further, they show these microorganisms also use that urea, another organic nitrogen compound.

These findings are important as cyanate and urea are common nitrogen and energy sources in the oceans. The Thaumarchaeota’s ability to supplement their metabolism with these compounds might be one reason for their outstanding success in the oceans.

Kitzinger is especially intrigued by how the marine ammonia oxidizing archaea are able to use cyanate. “We still aren’t sure exactly how they do it. They don’t have the typical enzyme repertoire needed to use cyanate. It will be exciting to see which enzymes allow marine ammonia oxidizing archaea to use cyanate, if these organisms have an even larger metabolic versatility than we know now, and how this versatility shapes their ecology”, says Kitzinger.

###

Media Contact
Katharina Kitzinger
[email protected]
49-421-202-8646

Original Source

https://medienportal.univie.ac.at/presse/aktuelle-pressemeldungen/detailansicht/artikel/small-but-versatile/

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41564-018-0316-2

Tags: BiologyMarine/Freshwater BiologyMicrobiology
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

blank

CK2–PRC2 Signal Drives Plant Cold Memory Epigenetics

August 2, 2025
blank

AI-Driven Protein Design Advances T-Cell Immunotherapy Breakthroughs

August 1, 2025

Melanthiaceae Genomes Reveal Giant Genome Evolution Secrets

August 1, 2025

“Shore Wars: New Study Tackles Oyster-Mangrove Conflicts to Boost Coastal Restoration”

August 1, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    40 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10

About

BIOENGINEER.ORG

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Predicting Lung Infections After Brain Hemorrhage

Impact of Morphology and Location on Aneurysms

Unraveling EMT’s Role in Colorectal Cancer Spread

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.