Abstract

Microorganisms with the capacity to reduce the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) to harmless dinitrogen gas are receiving increased attention due to increasing N2O emissions (and our need to mitigate climate change) and to recent discoveries of novel N2O-reducing bacteria and archaea. The diversity of denitrifying and nondenitrifying microorganisms with capacity for N2O reduction was recently shown to be greater than previously expected. A formerly overlooked group (clade II) in the environment include a large fraction of nondenitrifying N2O reducers, which could be N2O sinks without major contribution to N2O formation. We review the recent advances about fundamental understanding of the genomics, physiology, and ecology of N2O reducers and the importance of these findings for curbing N2O emissions.

Published in

Trends in Microbiology
2018, Volume: 26, number: 1, pages: 43 - 55

SLU Authors

• Hallin, Sara

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Jones, Christopher

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts


UKÄ Subject classification

Ecology
Microbiology


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2017.07.003

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/84688