Biology of the Nitrogen Cycle

All organisms require nitrogen to live and grow. The movement of nitrogen between the atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere in different forms is described by the nitrogen cycle. This book is an activity of the COST 856 Action on Denitrification. It covers all aspects of the N-cycle: chemistry, biology (enzymology, molecular biology), physics, applied aspects (greenhouse effect, N-pollution problems, practices in farming, in waste-water treatment, and more). In this book, leading editors offer the latest research available on dentrification (reduction of nitrates or nitrites commonly by bacteria- as in soil).

• Provides details on denitrification and its general role in the environment
• Offers latest research in N-Cycle and its reactions
• Discusses impacts on various environments: agriculture, wetlands, plants, waste-water treatment and more
• The only book available in the field since the last 20 years
• Contains 27 chapters written by internationally highly recognized experts in the field
• Covers all modern aspects, emphasizes molecular biology and ecology
• Written in an easily understandable way

Graduate/postdoc scientists, doctoral students in the field of denitrification and the ecological balance in nitrogen and the environment.

I. THE BIOLOGY OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE

1. FOREWORD, The editors, Hermann Bothe, Stuart J. Ferguson and William E. Newton

II. DENITRIFICATION

1. INTRODUCTION TO THE BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF DENITRIFICATION, Rob JM van Spanning, David J. Richardson and Stuart J. Ferguson

2. THE PROKARYOTIC NITRATE REDUCTASES, David J. Richardson, Rob van Spanning and Stuart J. Ferguson

3. NITRITE REDUCTASES IN DENITRIFICATION, Serena Rinaldo and Francesca Cutruzzolà

4. NITRIC OXIDE REDUCTASE: STRUCTURAL VARIATIONS AND CATALYTIC MECHANISM, Simon de Vries, Suharti and Laurice A.M. Pouvreau

5. NITROUS OXIDE REDUCTASES, Walter G. Zumft and Heinz Körner

6. DENITRIFICATION IN RHIZOBIA-LEGUME SYMBIOSIS, María J. Delgado, Sergio Casella and Eulogio J. Bedmar

7. THE DISSIMILATORY REDUCTION OF NITRATE TO AMMONIA BY ANAEROBIC BACTERIA, S. B. Mohan and Jeff A. Cole

III. BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION

1. PHYSIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF NITROGEN FIXATION, William E. Newton

2. REGULATORY CASCADES TO EXPRESS NITROGENASES, Bernd Masepohl and Karl Forchhammer

3. THE RHIZOBIUM-LEGUME NITROGEN-FIXING SYMBIOSIS, Gary Stacey

4. PLANT SYMBIOSES WITH FRANKIA AND CYANOBACTERIA, Katharina Pawlowski and Birgitta Bergman

5. ASSOCIATIVE NITROGEN FIXATION, Anne Van Dommelen and Jos Vanderleyden

6. MEASURING N2 FIXATION IN THE FIELD, Jonathan P. Zehr and Joseph P. Montoya

IV. OTHER REACTIONS OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE

1. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF NITRIFICATION, Stuart J. Ferguson, David J. Richardson and Rob J.M. van Spanning

2. THE ECOLOGY OF NITRIFYING BACTERIA, Jim I. Prosser

3. ANAMMOX, Huub J.M. Op den Camp, Mike S.M. Jetten and Marc Strous

4. NITRATE ASSIMILATION IN BACTERIA, Conrado Moreno-Vivián and Enrique Flores

5. NITRATE ASSIMILATION IN PLANTS, Rudolf Tischner and Werner Kaiser

6. CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTEOLYTIC MICROBES AND THEIR ACTIVITIES IN SOILS, M. Mrkonjic Fuka, Monika Engel, Jean-Charles Munch and Michael Schloter

V. APPLICATIONS OF REACTIONS OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE, WITH EMPHASIS ON DENITRIFICATION

1. MOLECULAR TOOLS TO ASSESS THE DIVERSITY AND DENSITY OF DENITRIFYING BACTERIA IN THEIR HABITATS, Sara Hallin, Gesche Braker and Laurent Philippot

2. DENITRIFICATION AND AGRICULTURE, Jean Charles Munch and Gerard L. Velthof

3. DENITRIFICATION AND N-CYCLING IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS Per Ambus and Sophie Zechmeister-Boltenstern

4. DENITRIFICATION IN WETLANDS Oswald Van Cleemput, Pascal Boeckx, Per-Eric Lindgren and Karin Tonderski

5. ORGANISMS OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS: LOW TEMPERATURE, SALINITY, pH AND WATER STRESS, Blaž Stres, Maria José Bonete, Rosa Maria Martínez-Espinosa, Ivan Mahne and Hermann Bothe

6. N2O EMISSION AND GLOBAL CHANGES, MODELLING APPROACHES, Lars Bakken and Peter Dörsch

7. INTERACTIONS AMONG ORGANISMS THAT RESULT IN ENHANCED ACTIVITIES OF N-CYCLE REACTIONS, Hermann Bothe and Harold Drake