G. A. Jones

Bio: G. A. Jones is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Aerobic denitrification & Nitrate. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 57 citations.

Dissimilatory metabolism of nitrate by the rumen microbiota.

Abstract: A mixed culture of bovine rumen microorganisms was incubated anaerobically, under conditions likely to support growth, with added nitrate and in the presence of several potential hydrogen donors kn...

Metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds

Abstract: The way in which the rumen has evolved as their first digestive organ potentially affords ruminants an efficiency of protein nutrition that is not available to non-ruminant herbivores. Protein is synthesized in the gut in the form of rumen microorganisms. The necessary energy is derived from plant polysaccharides such as cellulose, and the nitrogen is derived from ammonia and amino acids in the rumen. The energy and nitrogen sources can therefore be substrates of little value to most non-ruminants. Even more important, however, is the direct availability of that microbial protein for digestion and absorption by the host animal. Herbivores which employ hind-gut fermentation can only achieve the same efficiency of microbial protein utilization by coprophagy. In contrast, microbial protein is generally the ruminant’s principal source of amino acids.

Denitrification and ammonia formation in anaerobic coastal sediments.

Abstract: Simultaneous determinations of nitrogen gas production, ammonia, and particulate organic nitrogen formation in the coastal sediments of Mangoku-Ura, Simoda Bay, and Tokyo Bay were made by using the 15N-label tracer method. The rate of nitrogen gas production in the sediment surface layer was about 10−2 μg atom of N per g per h, irrespective of the location of the sediments examined. [15N]ammonia and -particulate organic nitrogen accounted for 20 to 70% of the three products, and after several hours of incubation, the major fraction of nondenitrified 15N in Mangoku-Ura and Simoda Bay sediments was recovered as ammonia. In Tokyo Bay sediments, particulate organic nitrogen was produced at a greater rate than was ammonia. The reduction rate data suggest that the pathway of nitrate reduction to ammonia is important in coastal sediments.

Nitrate reduction to nitrite, nitric oxide and ammonia by gut bacteria under physiological conditions.

Abstract: The biological nitrogen cycle involves step-wise reduction of nitrogen oxides to ammonium salts and oxidation of ammonia back to nitrites and nitrates by plants and bacteria. Neither process has been thought to have relevance to mammalian physiology; however in recent years the salivary bacterial reduction of nitrate to nitrite has been recognized as an important metabolic conversion in humans. Several enteric bacteria have also shown the ability of catalytic reduction of nitrate to ammonia via nitrite during dissimilatory respiration; however, the importance of this pathway in bacterial species colonizing the human intestine has been little studied. We measured nitrite, nitric oxide (NO) and ammonia formation in cultures of Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species grown at different sodium nitrate concentrations and oxygen levels. We found that the presence of 5 mM nitrate provided a growth benefit and induced both nitrite and ammonia generation in E.coli and L.plantarum bacteria grown at oxygen concentrations compatible with the content in the gastrointestinal tract. Nitrite and ammonia accumulated in the growth medium when at least 2.5 mM nitrate was present. Time-course curves suggest that nitrate is first converted to nitrite and subsequently to ammonia. Strains of L.rhamnosus, L.acidophilus and B.longum infantis grown with nitrate produced minor changes in nitrite or ammonia levels in the cultures. However, when supplied with exogenous nitrite, NO gas was readily produced independently of added nitrate. Bacterial production of lactic acid causes medium acidification that in turn generates NO by non-enzymatic nitrite reduction. In contrast, nitrite was converted to NO by E.coli cultures even at neutral pH. We suggest that the bacterial nitrate reduction to ammonia, as well as the related NO formation in the gut, could be an important aspect of the overall mammalian nitrate/nitrite/NO metabolism and is yet another way in which the microbiome links diet and health.

Inhibition of methanogenesis in salt marsh sediments and whole-cell suspensions of methanogenic bacteria by nitrogen oxides.

Abstract: Hydrogen-dependent evolution of methane from salt marsh sediments and whole-cell suspensions of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and Methanobacterium fornicicum ceased or decreased after the introduction of nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide, or nitrous oxide. Sulfite had a similar effect on methanogenesis in the whole-cell suspensions. In salt marsh sediments, nitrous oxide was the strongest inhibitor, followed by nitric oxide, nitrite, and nitrate in decreasing order of inhibition. In whole-cell suspensions, nitric oxide was the strongest inhibitor, followed by nitrous oxide, nitrite, and nitrate. Consideration of the results from experiments using an indicator of oxidation potential, along with the reversed order of effectiveness of the nitrogen oxides in relation to their degree of reduction ,suggests that the inhibitory effect observed was not due to a redox change. Evidence is also presented that suggests that the decrease in the rate of methane production in the presence of oxides of nitrogen was not attributable to competition for methane-producing substrates.

A review of feeding supplementary nitrate to ruminant animals: nitrate toxicity, methane emissions, and production performance

Abstract: Lee, C. and Beauchemin, K. A. 2014. A review of feeding supplementary nitrate to ruminant animals: Nitrate toxicity, methane emissions, and production performance. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 557–570. The purpose of this review is to discuss the risks and benefits of using supplementary nitrate to reduce enteric methane emissions in ruminants based on the results of a meta-analysis. The meta-analysis confirmed possible nitrate poisoning triggered by higher blood methemoglobin levels with increasing nitrate consumption of ruminants: methemoglobin (%)=41.3×nitrate [g kg−1 body weight (BW) d−1]+1.2; R 2=0.76, P<0.001. However, acclimatizing animals to nitrate reduced the toxicity of nitrate: methemoglobin (%)=4.2×nitrate (g kg−1 BW d−1)+0.4, R 2=0.76, P=0.002. Animals fed nitrate reduced enteric methane emissions in a dose-response manner: methane [g kg−1 dry matter intake (DMI)]=−8.3×nitrate (g kg−1 BW d−1)+15.2, R 2=0.80, P<0.001. The reduction of enteric methane emissions due to supplementary nitrate was effec...