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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

III. BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION

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

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

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

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

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

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

IV. OTHER REACTIONS OF THE NITROGEN CYCLE

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

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

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

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

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

20. 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

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

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

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

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

25. 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

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

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