An Unknown Non-denitrifier Bacterium Isolated from Soil Actively Reduces Nitrous Oxide under High pH Conditions

A nitrous oxide (N₂O)-consuming bacterium isolated from farmland soil actively consumed N₂O under high pH conditions. An acetylene inhibition assay did not show the denitrification of N₂ to N₂O by this bacterium. When N₂O was injected as the only nitrogen source, this bacterium did not assimilate N₂O. A polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that this bacterium did not have the typical nosZ gene. This bacterium belonged to Chitinophagaceae, but did not belong to known families that include bacteria with the atypical nosZ. This is the first study to show that a non-denitrifier actively reduces N₂O, even under high pH conditions.