Anammox

A bioreactor containing the anammox bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis

Anammox, an abbreviation for "anaerobic ammonium oxidation", is a globally important microbial process of the nitrogen cycle[1] that takes place in many natural environments. The bacteria mediating this process were identified in 1999, and were a great surprise for the scientific community.[2] In the anammox reaction, nitrite and ammonium ions are converted directly into diatomic nitrogen and water.

The bacteria that perform the anammox process are genera that belong to the bacterial phylum Planctomycetota. The anammox bacteria all possess one anammoxosome, a lipid bilayer membrane-bound compartment inside the cytoplasm in which the anammox process takes place.[3][4] The anammoxosome membranes are rich in ladderane lipids; the presence of these lipids is so far unique in biology.[5]

"Anammox" is also the trademarked name for an anammox-based ammonium removal technology developed[6] by the Delft University of Technology.

  1. ^ Arrigo KR (2005). "Marine microorganisms and global nutrient cycles". Nature. 437 (7057): 349–55. Bibcode:2005Natur.437..349A. doi:10.1038/nature04159. PMID 16163345. S2CID 62781480.
  2. ^ Strous M, Fuerst JA, Kramer EH, Logemann S, Muyzer G, van de Pas-Schoonen KT, Webb R, Kuenen JG, Jetten MS (July 1999). "Missing lithotroph identified as new planctomycete" (PDF). Nature. 400 (6743): 446–9. Bibcode:1999Natur.400..446S. doi:10.1038/22749. PMID 10440372. S2CID 2222680.
  3. ^ van Teeseling, Muriel C. F.; Neumann, Sarah; van Niftrik, Laura (2013). "The anammoxosome organelle is crucial for the energy metabolism of anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria". Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology. 23 (1–2): 104–117. doi:10.1159/000346547. hdl:2066/117268. ISSN 1660-2412. PMID 23615199.
  4. ^ Claret Fernández, Laura; Mesman, Rob; van Niftrik, Laura (2020), Jendrossek, Dieter (ed.), "The Anammoxosome Organelle: The Power Plant of Anaerobic Ammonium-Oxidizing (Anammox) Bacteria", Bacterial Organelles and Organelle-like Inclusions, Microbiology Monographs, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 107–123, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-60173-7_5, ISBN 978-3-030-60173-7, retrieved 2024-01-17
  5. ^ Claret Fernández, Laura; Mesman, Rob; van Niftrik, Laura (2020), Jendrossek, Dieter (ed.), "The Anammoxosome Organelle: The Power Plant of Anaerobic Ammonium-Oxidizing (Anammox) Bacteria", Bacterial Organelles and Organelle-like Inclusions, Microbiology Monographs, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 107–123, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-60173-7_5, ISBN 978-3-030-60173-7, retrieved 2024-01-17
  6. ^ Jetten Michael Silvester Maria, Van Loosdrecht Marinus Corneli; Technische Universiteit Delft, patent WO9807664