Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Author Spotlight: Soybean Hairy Root Transformation for the Analysis of Gene Function
Published on: May 5, 2023
Pathway and mechanism of nitrogen transformation during composting: Functional enzymes and genes under different
Guangming Zeng1, Lihua Zhang1, Haoran Dong1
1College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China.
Abstract:
Polyvinylpyrrolidone coated silver nanoparticles (PVP-AgNPs) were applied at different concentrations to reduce total nitrogen (TN) losses and the mechanisms of nitrogen bio-transformation were investigated in terms of the nitrogen functional enzymes and genes. Results showed that mineral N in pile 3 which was treated with AgNPs at a concentration of 10 mg/kg compost was the highest (6.58 g/kg dry weight (DW) compost) and the TN loss (47.07%) was the lowest at the end of composting. Correlation analysis indicated that TN loss was significantly correlated with amoA abundance. High throughput sequencing showed that the dominant family of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was Nitrosomonadaceae, and the number of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) reduced after the beginning of composting when compared with day 1. In summary, treatment with AgNPs at a concentration of 10 mg/kg compost was considerable to reduce TN losses and reserve more mineral N during composting.
Related Concept Videos
The Nitrogen Cycle
Transformations of Functions I
Transformations of Functions II
Mechanical Protein Functions
Introduction to Mechanisms of Enzyme Catalysis
Transformations of Functions III

