Amplification of the amoA gene from diverse species of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria and from an indigenous bacterial population from seawater

The polymerase chain reaction technique is used to identify the amoA gene encoding at the active site of ammonium monooxygenase from pure cultures of chemolithotrophic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria and the natural bacterial population of an unfiltered seawater sample. By partial sequencing the amplified DNA from Nitrosomonas europeae, Nitrosomonas crytolerans and Nitrosomonas oceanus, the amoA genes are detected.