Impact of copper on the diversity, abundance and transcription of nitrite and nitrous oxide reductase genes in an urban European estuary

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Magalhaes, CM (Author) Other; Machado, A (Author) Other; Matos, P (Author) Other; Adriano Bordalo (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: FEMS Microbiology Ecology

Vol. 77

Pages: 274-284

ISSN: 0168-6496

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 69 Citations

Scopus - 75 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-PEY

DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2011.01107.x

Abstract (EN): In this study, the effects of increasing copper (Cu) concentrations on the denitrification pathway and on the diversity of a denitrifier community and gene expression were evaluated in intertidal sandy sediments of the Douro River estuary (north-west Portugal). The results demonstrated that sediment denitrification rates were highly affected by Cu; almost complete inhibition (85%) of the process was observed in sediments amended with 60 mu gCug(-1) wet wt sediment. Moreover, the addition of Cu stimulated the accumulation of both N(2)O and NO(2)(-) and inhibited the rate of NO(3)(-) uptake. Further, the amendment with even the lowest Cu concentration (4 mu gCug(-1) wet wt sediment) yielded a drastic decrease in the abundance of nirK, nirS and nosZ (between 79% and 81%) assessed by means of real-time PCR. In agreement, reverse transcription-PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of nirK, nirS and nosZ transcripts showed a progressive decrease in the diversity of the transcription products of these genes with an increase of the Cu concentration.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11