Biogeosciences
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Articles | Volume 20, issue 3
Articles | Volume 20, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-687-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-687-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 20, issue 3
BG Letters
 | Highlight paper
 | 
13 Feb 2023
BG Letters | Highlight paper |  | 13 Feb 2023

Nitrous oxide (N2O) synthesis by the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

Federico Fabisik, Benoit Guieysse, Jonathan Procter, and Maxence Plouviez

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This laboratory and protein database research by Fabisik and co-workers demonstrates that the widespread freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa is capable of producing nitrous oxide, a very potent greenhouse gas, from nitrite. This discovery poses the important question about the relevance of these organisms for global nitrous oxide emissions into the atmosphere and their response to environmental change.
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Short summary
We show, for the first time, that pure cultures of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa can synthesize the potent greenhouse gas N2O using nitrite as substrate. Our findings have broad environmental implications because M. aeruginosa is globally found in freshwater ecosystems and is often the dominant species found in algae blooms. Further research is now needed to determine the occurrence and significance of N2O emissions from ecosystems rich with M. aeruginosa.
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