Ammonia oxidation by the enrichment culture "Candidatus Nitrosacidococcus tergens" sp. RJ19 across a pH gradient from pH 2.5 to 7.0

Acidophilic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) have only recently been discovered. These organisms hold great promise for acidic wastewater treatment, yet their physiology remains poorly understood compared to neutrophilic AOB. Here, we investigated the physiology of the acidophilic AOB “Candidatus Nitrosacidococcus tergens” sp. RJ19 across a broad pH range (2.5–7.0) using a specialized bioreactor system. We monitored nitrogen (N) transformations combined with microbial community composition and transcriptomic profiles, focusing on nitrogen metabolism and proton stress responses.

嗜酸性氨氧化细菌（Acidophilic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, AOB）直至近年才被发现。这类微生物在酸性废水处理领域展现出巨大应用前景，但相较于嗜中性氨氧化细菌，学界对其生理特性的认知仍较为匮乏。本研究借助专用生物反应器系统，在宽pH范围（2.5~7.0）内，针对嗜酸性氨氧化细菌候选种"Candidatus Nitrosacidococcus tergens" sp. RJ19的生理特性展开了研究。研究过程中，我们同步监测了氮（N）转化过程、微生物群落组成与转录组特征，并重点聚焦于氮代谢及质子胁迫应答相关通路。