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Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Published on: October 7, 2020

Ammonification by kelp associated microbes increases ammonium availability.

Alex Hochroth¹, Catherine A Pfister^2,3

¹The College, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America.

|March 29, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Marine microbes on bull kelp convert organic nitrogen into ammonium, a vital nutrient. This process supports kelp growth, especially under stress, highlighting the importance of microbial nitrogen cycling in coastal ecosystems.

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Last Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Published on: October 7, 2020

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Field Collection and Laboratory Maintenance of Canopy-Forming Giant Kelp to Facilitate Restoration

Field Collection and Laboratory Maintenance of Canopy-Forming Giant Kelp to Facilitate Restoration

Published on: June 7, 2024

Area of Science:

Marine microbiology
Ocean biogeochemistry
Macrophyte-microbe interactions

Background:

Microbes provide essential nitrogen to oceans via nitrogen fixation and organic matter mineralization.
Coastal marine environments host abundant microbial communities on plants and algae.
The specific role of these microbiomes in host nitrogen cycling is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if microbes living on bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) contribute to host nitrogen acquisition.
To determine if epiphytic microbial ammonification increases ammonium availability in the surrounding seawater.
To assess the impact of host stress on microbial nitrogen cycling rates.

Main Methods:

Incubation of bull kelp with 15N-labeled amino acid tracers.
Measurement of 15N accumulation in kelp tissues and seawater ammonium.
Metagenomic analysis of microbial communities on kelp surfaces.

Main Results:

Evidence of dissolved organic nitrogen conversion to ammonium by kelp-associated microbes.
15N tracer confirmed uptake of microbially produced ammonium by kelp.
Stressed kelp populations exhibited higher ammonification rates despite sparser microbial communities.

Conclusions:

Epiphytic microbes on bull kelp actively contribute to nitrogen cycling by producing ammonium.
This microbial ammonification can enhance nitrogen availability for host kelp assimilation.
Microbial nitrogen cycling is crucial for supporting coastal macrophyte health, particularly under environmental stress.