Nitrite-oxidation Bacterial Growth without Nitrite source

As we may know bacteria can be helpful or harmful not only to humans but to every living creature. many bacteria have a complex way of compromising with the environment. In our waste water treatment plants numerous distribution of nitrite oxidizing bacteria are present playing a role in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. Nitrate oxidation takes place with ammonium and carbon dioxide as an energy source,  a pure culture of N.moscoviensis was placed in nitrate free mineral mediums and replaced the carbon dioxide with hydrogen or oxygen, to be used as an electron donor and acceptor.

Hydrogenotrophic growth of N.moscoviensis with oxygen as terminal electron acceptor.Koch H, Galushko A, Albertsen M, Schintlmeister A, Gruber-Dorninger C, Lucker S et al. (2014).

 

                                                  
Comparisons of growth  in  hydrogen and oxygen rich mediums and  N. moscoviensis  and oxygen were compared leading  to the conclusion that nitrite bacterial growth can be ubiquitous with an aerobic hydrogen oxidation present.

 Reference: 
           Koch H, Galushko A, Albertsen M, Schintlmeister A, Gruber-Dorninger C, Lucker S et al. (2014). Growth of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria by aerobic hydrogen oxidation. Science 345:1052-1054.