1
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He Z, Jiang G, Gan L, He T, Tian Y. Bacterial valorization of lignin for the sustainable production of value-added bioproducts. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 279:135171. [PMID: 39214219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
As the most abundant aromatic biopolymer in the biosphere, lignin represents a promising alternative feedstock for the industrial production of various value-added bioproducts with enhanced economical value. However, the large-scale implementation of lignin valorization remains challenging because of the heterogeneity and irregular structure of lignin. General fragmentation and depolymerization processes often yield various products, but these approaches necessitate tedious purification steps to isolate target products. Moreover, microbial biocatalytic processes, especially bacterial-based systems with high metabolic activity, can depolymerize and further utilize lignin in an eco-friendly way. Considering that wild bacterial strains have evolved several metabolic pathways and enzymatic systems for lignin degradation, substantial efforts have been made to exploit their potential for lignin valorization. This review summarizes recent advances in lignin valorization for the production of value-added bioproducts based on bacterial systems. Additionally, the remaining challenges and available strategies for lignin biodegradation processes and future trends of bacterial lignin valorization are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng He
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Guangyang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering (Ministry of Education), College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Longzhan Gan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China.
| | - Tengxia He
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Yongqiang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering (Ministry of Education), College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan Province, China.
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2
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Choudhary R, Mahadevan R. DyMMM-LEAPS: An ML-based framework for modulating evenness and stability in synthetic microbial communities. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00320-5. [PMID: 38733081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
There have been a growing number of computational strategies to aid in the design of synthetic microbial consortia. A framework to identify regions in parametric space to maximize two essential properties, evenness and stability, is critical. In this study, we introduce DyMMM-LEAPS (dynamic multispecies metabolic modeling-locating evenness and stability in large parametric space), an extension of the DyMMM framework. Our method explores the large parametric space of genetic circuits in synthetic microbial communities to identify regions of evenness and stability. Due to the high computational costs of exhaustive sampling, we utilize adaptive sampling and surrogate modeling to reduce the number of simulations required to map the vast space. Our framework predicts engineering targets and computes their operating ranges to maximize the probability of the engineered community to have high evenness and stability. We demonstrate our approach by simulating five cocultures and one three-strain culture with different social interactions (cooperation, competition, and predation) employing quorum-sensing-based genetic circuits. In addition to guiding circuit tuning, our pipeline gives an opportunity for a detailed analysis of pockets of evenness and stability for the circuit under investigation, which can further help dissect the relationship between the two properties. DyMMM-LEAPS is easily customizable and can be expanded to a larger community with more complex interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruhi Choudhary
- University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahadevan
- University of Toronto, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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3
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Wang L, George TS, Feng G. Concepts and consequences of the hyphosphere core microbiome for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal fitness and function. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:1529-1533. [PMID: 38044555 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi-associated hyphosphere microbiomes can be considered as the second genome of the mycorrhizal phosphorus uptake pathway. Their composition can be thought of as a stably recurring component of a holobiont, defined by the hyphosphere core microbiome, which is thought to benefit AM fungal fitness. Here, we review evidence indicating the existence of the hyphosphere core microbiome, highlight its functions linked to those functions lacking in AM fungi, and further explore the mechanisms by which different core members ensure their stable coexistence. We conclude that deciphering and utilizing the hyphosphere core microbiome provides an entry point for understanding the complex interactions among plants, AM fungi, and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letian Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | | | - Gu Feng
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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4
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Lyu X, Nuhu M, Candry P, Wolfanger J, Betenbaugh M, Saldivar A, Zuniga C, Wang Y, Shrestha S. Top-down and bottom-up microbiome engineering approaches to enable biomanufacturing from waste biomass. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 51:kuae025. [PMID: 39003244 PMCID: PMC11287213 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuae025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Growing environmental concerns and the need to adopt a circular economy have highlighted the importance of waste valorization for resource recovery. Microbial consortia-enabled biotechnologies have made significant developments in the biomanufacturing of valuable resources from waste biomass that serve as suitable alternatives to petrochemical-derived products. These microbial consortia-based processes are designed following a top-down or bottom-up engineering approach. The top-down approach is a classical method that uses environmental variables to selectively steer an existing microbial consortium to achieve a target function. While high-throughput sequencing has enabled microbial community characterization, the major challenge is to disentangle complex microbial interactions and manipulate the structure and function accordingly. The bottom-up approach uses prior knowledge of the metabolic pathway and possible interactions among consortium partners to design and engineer synthetic microbial consortia. This strategy offers some control over the composition and function of the consortium for targeted bioprocesses, but challenges remain in optimal assembly methods and long-term stability. In this review, we present the recent advancements, challenges, and opportunities for further improvement using top-down and bottom-up approaches for microbiome engineering. As the bottom-up approach is relatively a new concept for waste valorization, this review explores the assembly and design of synthetic microbial consortia, ecological engineering principles to optimize microbial consortia, and metabolic engineering approaches for efficient conversion. Integration of top-down and bottom-up approaches along with developments in metabolic modeling to predict and optimize consortia function are also highlighted. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY This review highlights the microbial consortia-driven waste valorization for biomanufacturing through top-down and bottom-up design approaches and describes strategies, tools, and unexplored opportunities to optimize the design and stability of such consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejiao Lyu
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Mujaheed Nuhu
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Pieter Candry
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jenna Wolfanger
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Michael Betenbaugh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Alexis Saldivar
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-4614, USA
| | - Cristal Zuniga
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-4614, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, TX 77843, USA
| | - Shilva Shrestha
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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5
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Gao H, Jiang W, Zhang W, Jiang M, Xin F. Customized spatial niches for synthetic microbial consortia. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:1463-1466. [PMID: 37270330 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The construction of synthetic microbial consortia has been considered a new frontier. However, maintaining artificial microbial communities remains challenging because the dominant strain eventually outcompetes the others. Inspired by natural ecosystems, one promising approach to assemble stable consortia is to construct spatial niches partitioning subpopulations and overlapping abiotic requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China
| | - Wankui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China
| | - Wenming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China; Jiangsu Academy of Chemical Inherent Safety, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China.
| | - Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China; Jiangsu Academy of Chemical Inherent Safety, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China
| | - Fengxue Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China; Jiangsu Academy of Chemical Inherent Safety, Nanjing, 211800, P.R. China.
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6
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Llamas M, Greses S, Magdalena JA, González-Fernández C, Tomás-Pejó E. Microbial co-cultures for biochemicals production from lignocellulosic biomass: A review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 386:129499. [PMID: 37460020 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Global reliance on fossil oil should shift to cleaner alternatives to get a decarbonized society. One option to achieve this ambitious goal is the use of biochemicals produced from lignocellulosic biomass (LCB). The inherent low biodegradability of LCB and the inhibitory compounds that might be released during pretreatment are two main challenges for LCB valorization. At microbiological level, constraints are mostly linked to the need for axenic cultures and the preference for certain carbon sources (i.e., glucose). To cope with these issues, this review focuses on efficient LCB conversion via the sugar platform as well as an innovative carboxylate platform taking advantage of the co-cultivation of microorganisms. This review discusses novel trends in the use of microbial communities and co-cultures aiming at different bioproducts co-generation in single reactors as well as in sequential bioprocess combination. The outlook and further perspectives of these alternatives have been outlined for future successful development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Llamas
- Biotechnological Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Greses
- Biotechnological Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Magdalena
- LBE, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, 102 avenue des Étangs, F-11100 Narbonne, France; Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina González-Fernández
- Biotechnological Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy, Madrid, Spain; Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, School of Industrial Engineering, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, Valladolid 47011, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, Dr. Mergelina, s/n, Valladolid 47011, Spain
| | - Elia Tomás-Pejó
- Biotechnological Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy, Madrid, Spain.
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7
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Wu B, Guan X, Deng T, Yang X, Li J, Zhou M, Wang C, Wang S, Yan Q, Shu L, He Q, He Z. Synthetic Denitrifying Communities Reveal a Positive and Dynamic Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning Relationship during Experimental Evolution. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0452822. [PMID: 37154752 PMCID: PMC10269844 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04528-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity is vital for ecosystem functions and services, and many studies have reported positive, negative, or neutral biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships in plant and animal systems. However, if the BEF relationship exists and how it evolves remains elusive in microbial systems. Here, we selected 12 Shewanella denitrifiers to construct synthetic denitrifying communities (SDCs) with a richness gradient spanning 1 to 12 species, which were subjected to approximately 180 days (with 60 transfers) of experimental evolution with generational changes in community functions continuously tracked. A significant positive correlation was observed between community richness and functions, represented by productivity (biomass) and denitrification rate, however, such a positive correlation was transient, only significant in earlier days (0 to 60) during the evolution experiment (180 days). Also, we found that community functions generally increased throughout the evolution experiment. Furthermore, microbial community functions with lower richness exhibited greater increases than those with higher richness. Biodiversity effect analysis revealed positive BEF relationships largely attributable to complementary effects, which were more pronounced in communities with lower richness than those with higher richness. This study is one of the first studies that advances our understanding of BEF relationships and their evolutionary mechanisms in microbial systems, highlighting the crucial role of evolution in predicting the BEF relationship in microbial systems. IMPORTANCE Despite the consensus that biodiversity supports ecosystem functioning, not all experimental models of macro-organisms support this notion with positive, negative, or neutral biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships reported. The fast-growing, metabolically versatile, and easy manipulation nature of microbial communities allows us to explore well the BEF relationship and further interrogate if the BEF relationship remains constant during long-term community evolution. Here, we constructed multiple synthetic denitrifying communities (SDCs) by randomly selecting species from a candidate pool of 12 Shewanella denitrifiers. These SDCs differ in species richness, spanning 1 to 12 species, and were monitored continuously for community functional shifts during approximately 180-day parallel cultivation. We demonstrated that the BEF relationship was dynamic with initially (day 0 to 60) greater productivity and denitrification among SDCs of higher richness. However, such pattern was reversed thereafter with greater productivity and denitrification increments in lower-richness SDCs, likely due to a greater accumulation of beneficial mutations during the experimental evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaotong Guan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Deng
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xueqin Yang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Li
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Min Zhou
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanquan Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingyun Yan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longfei Shu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Zhili He
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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8
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VanArsdale E, Navid A, Chu MJ, Halvorsen TM, Payne GF, Jiao Y, Bentley WE, Yung MC. Electrogenetic signaling and information propagation for controlling microbial consortia via programmed lysis. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:1366-1381. [PMID: 36710487 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
To probe signal propagation and genetic actuation in microbial consortia, we have coopted the components of both redox and quorum sensing (QS) signaling into a communication network for guiding composition by "programming" cell lysis. Here, we use an electrode to generate hydrogen peroxide as a redox cue that determines consortia composition. The oxidative stress regulon of Escherichia coli, OxyR, is employed to receive and transform this signal into a QS signal that coordinates the lysis of a subpopulation of cells. We examine a suite of information transfer modalities including "monoculture" and "transmitter-receiver" models, as well as a series of genetic circuits that introduce time-delays for altering information relay, thereby expanding design space. A simple mathematical model aids in developing communication schemes that accommodate the transient nature of redox signals and the "collective" attributes of QS signals. We suggest this platform methodology will be useful in understanding and controlling synthetic microbial consortia for a variety of applications, including biomanufacturing and biocontainment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric VanArsdale
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Fischell Institute of Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Ali Navid
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Monica J Chu
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Fischell Institute of Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Tiffany M Halvorsen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Gregory F Payne
- Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Fischell Institute of Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Yongqin Jiao
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, USA
| | - William E Bentley
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Fischell Institute of Biomedical Devices, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Mimi C Yung
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, USA
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9
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Adoni P, Romanyuk A, Overton TW, Fernandez-Trillo P. Polymer-induced biofilms for enhanced biocatalysis. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2022; 9:2592-2602. [PMID: 35912866 PMCID: PMC9528183 DOI: 10.1039/d2mh00607c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The intrinsic resilience of biofilms to environmental conditions makes them an attractive platform for biocatalysis, bioremediation, agriculture or consumer health. However, one of the main challenges in these areas is that beneficial bacteria are not necessarily good at biofilm formation. Currently, this problem is solved by genetic engineering or experimental evolution, techniques that can be costly and time consuming, require expertise in molecular biology and/or microbiology and, more importantly, are not suitable for all types of microorganisms or applications. Here we show that synthetic polymers can be used as an alternative, working as simple additives to nucleate the formation of biofilms. Using a combination of controlled radical polymerization and dynamic covalent chemistry, we prepare a set of synthetic polymers carrying mildly cationic, aromatic, heteroaromatic or aliphatic moieties. We then demonstrate that hydrophobic polymers induce clustering and promote biofilm formation in MC4100, a strain of Escherichia coli that forms biofilms poorly, with aromatic and heteroaromatic moieties leading to the best performing polymers. Moreover, we compare the effect of the polymers on MC4100 against PHL644, an E. coli strain that forms biofilms well due to a single point mutation which increases expression of the adhesin curli. In the presence of selected polymers, MC4100 can reach levels of biomass production and curli expression similar or higher than PHL644, demonstrating that synthetic polymers promote similar changes in microbial physiology than those introduced following genetic modification. Finally, we demonstrate that these polymers can be used to improve the performance of MC4100 biofilms in the biocatalytic transformation of 5-fluoroindole into 5-fluorotryptophan. Our results show that incubation with these synthetic polymers helps MC4100 match and even outperform PHL644 in this biotransformation, demonstrating that synthetic polymers can underpin the development of beneficial applications of biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Adoni
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Andrey Romanyuk
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Tim W Overton
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Paco Fernandez-Trillo
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Departamento de Química, Facultade de Ciencias and Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidade da Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
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10
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Barcoto MO, Rodrigues A. Lessons From Insect Fungiculture: From Microbial Ecology to Plastics Degradation. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:812143. [PMID: 35685924 PMCID: PMC9171207 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.812143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities have extensively transformed the biosphere by extracting and disposing of resources, crossing boundaries of planetary threat while causing a global crisis of waste overload. Despite fundamental differences regarding structure and recalcitrance, lignocellulose and plastic polymers share physical-chemical properties to some extent, that include carbon skeletons with similar chemical bonds, hydrophobic properties, amorphous and crystalline regions. Microbial strategies for metabolizing recalcitrant polymers have been selected and optimized through evolution, thus understanding natural processes for lignocellulose modification could aid the challenge of dealing with the recalcitrant human-made polymers spread worldwide. We propose to look for inspiration in the charismatic fungal-growing insects to understand multipartite degradation of plant polymers. Independently evolved in diverse insect lineages, fungiculture embraces passive or active fungal cultivation for food, protection, and structural purposes. We consider there is much to learn from these symbioses, in special from the community-level degradation of recalcitrant biomass and defensive metabolites. Microbial plant-degrading systems at the core of insect fungicultures could be promising candidates for degrading synthetic plastics. Here, we first compare the degradation of lignocellulose and plastic polymers, with emphasis in the overlapping microbial players and enzymatic activities between these processes. Second, we review the literature on diverse insect fungiculture systems, focusing on features that, while supporting insects' ecology and evolution, could also be applied in biotechnological processes. Third, taking lessons from these microbial communities, we suggest multidisciplinary strategies to identify microbial degraders, degrading enzymes and pathways, as well as microbial interactions and interdependencies. Spanning from multiomics to spectroscopy, microscopy, stable isotopes probing, enrichment microcosmos, and synthetic communities, these strategies would allow for a systemic understanding of the fungiculture ecology, driving to application possibilities. Detailing how the metabolic landscape is entangled to achieve ecological success could inspire sustainable efforts for mitigating the current environmental crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana O. Barcoto
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
- Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Andre Rodrigues
- Center for the Study of Social Insects, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
- Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, Brazil
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11
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Albright MBN, Louca S, Winkler DE, Feeser KL, Haig SJ, Whiteson KL, Emerson JB, Dunbar J. Solutions in microbiome engineering: prioritizing barriers to organism establishment. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:331-338. [PMID: 34420034 PMCID: PMC8776856 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01088-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbiome engineering is increasingly being employed as a solution to challenges in health, agriculture, and climate. Often manipulation involves inoculation of new microbes designed to improve function into a preexisting microbial community. Despite, increased efforts in microbiome engineering inoculants frequently fail to establish and/or confer long-lasting modifications on ecosystem function. We posit that one underlying cause of these shortfalls is the failure to consider barriers to organism establishment. This is a key challenge and focus of macroecology research, specifically invasion biology and restoration ecology. We adopt a framework from invasion biology that summarizes establishment barriers in three categories: (1) propagule pressure, (2) environmental filtering, and (3) biotic interactions factors. We suggest that biotic interactions is the most neglected factor in microbiome engineering research, and we recommend a number of actions to accelerate engineering solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stilianos Louca
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Daniel E Winkler
- United States Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT, USA
| | - Kelli L Feeser
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Sarah-Jane Haig
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Katrine L Whiteson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joanne B Emerson
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - John Dunbar
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
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Hu R, Zhao H, Xu X, Wang Z, Yu K, Shu L, Yan Q, Wu B, Mo C, He Z, Wang C. Bacteria-driven phthalic acid ester biodegradation: Current status and emerging opportunities. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 154:106560. [PMID: 33866059 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The extensive use of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) has led to their widespread distribution across various environments. As PAEs pose significant threats to human health, it is urgent to develop efficient strategies to eliminate them from environments. Bacteria-driven PAE biodegradation has been considered as an inexpensive yet effective strategy to restore the contaminated environments. Despite great advances in bacterial culturing and sequencing, the inherent complexity of indigenous microbial community hinders us to mechanistically understand in situ PAE biodegradation and efficiently harness the degrading power of bacteria. The synthetic microbial ecology provides us a simple and controllable model system to address this problem. In this review, we focus on the current progress of PAE biodegradation mediated by bacterial isolates and indigenous bacterial communities, and discuss the prospective of synthetic PAE-degrading bacterial communities in PAE biodegradation research. It is anticipated that the theories and approaches of synthetic microbial ecology will revolutionize the study of bacteria-driven PAE biodegradation and provide novel insights for developing effective bioremediation solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwen Hu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Haiming Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xihui Xu
- Department of Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Microbiology for Agricultural Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhigang Wang
- School of Life Science and Agriculture and Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Ke Yu
- School of Environment and Energy, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Longfei Shu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qingyun Yan
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bo Wu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Cehui Mo
- Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhili He
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China; College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Fraile S, Briones M, Revenga-Parra M, de Lorenzo V, Lorenzo E, Martínez-García E. Engineering Tropism of Pseudomonas putida toward Target Surfaces through Ectopic Display of Recombinant Nanobodies. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2049-2059. [PMID: 34337948 PMCID: PMC8397431 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are endowed with complex outer membrane (OM) structures that allow them to both interact with other organisms and attach to different physical structures. However, the design of reliable bacterial coatings of solid surfaces is still a considerable challenge. In this work, we report that ectopic expression of a fibrinogen-specific nanobody on the envelope of Pseudomonas putida cells enables controllable formation of a bacterial monolayer strongly bound to an antigen-coated support. To this end, either the wild type or a surface-naked derivative of P. putida was engineered to express a hybrid between the β-barrel of an intimin-type autotransporter inserted in the outer membrane and a nanobody (VHH) moiety that targets fibrinogen as its cognate interaction partner. The functionality of the thereby presented VHH and the strength of the resulting cell attachment to a solid surface covered with the cognate antigen were tested and parametrized with Quartz Crystal Microbalance technology. The results not only demonstrated the value of using bacteria with reduced OM complexity for efficient display of artificial adhesins, but also the potential of this approach to engineer specific bacterial coverings of predetermined target surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Fraile
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional
de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Briones
- Departamento de Química Analítica y Análisis
Instrumental, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica Revenga-Parra
- Departamento de Química Analítica y Análisis
Instrumental, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional
de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Encarnación Lorenzo
- Departamento de Química Analítica y Análisis
Instrumental, Universidad Autónoma
de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Martínez-García
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional
de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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14
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Dempfle D, Kröcher O, Studer MHP. Techno-economic assessment of bioethanol production from lignocellulose by consortium-based consolidated bioprocessing at industrial scale. N Biotechnol 2021; 65:53-60. [PMID: 34343714 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Lignocellulose-based biofuels are of major importance to mitigate the impact of international traffic and transport on climate change while sustaining agricultural land for food supply. Highly integrated systems like consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), where enzyme production, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of the released sugars are carried out in one reactor, offer the highest potential to save costs and to make lignocellulose-based biofuels economically competitive. The work described here showed that CBP based on a microbial consortium operated at full-scale (2,000 t/d) saves up to 27.5% of the total ethanol production costs compared to conventional ethanol production from lignocellulose in individual process steps. The cost savings are mainly achieved through lower CAPEX due to less apparatus requirements because of the integrated process, as well as through lower OPEX since no glucose is needed for enzyme production. A comparison with literature estimations of cost savings of CBP based on genetically modified microorganisms results in approximately the same range. As a result of a detailed sensitivity analysis, scale and yield were identified as the main cost-pushers from a process point of view, whereas the price level of the plant location has the highest impact on the investment conditions. In the EU, CBP yields enough margin for profitable production and the possibility to decentralize biomass valorization, whereas in the world's largest ethanol market, the U.S, profitable production of lignocellulosic ethanol can only be achieved by CBP combined with other cost saving techniques, such as utilization of cost-free waste feedstocks, since ethanol has undergone a considerable price slump.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dempfle
- Group of Catalysis for Biofuels, Institute of Chemical Science and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Kröcher
- Group of Catalysis for Biofuels, Institute of Chemical Science and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Hans-Peter Studer
- Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland.
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15
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Espinosa-Ortiz EJ, Rene ER, Gerlach R. Potential use of fungal-bacterial co-cultures for the removal of organic pollutants. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2021; 42:361-383. [PMID: 34325585 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2021.1940831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Fungi and bacteria coexist in a wide variety of natural and artificial environments which can lead to their association and interaction - ranging from antagonism to cooperation - that can affect the survival, colonization, spatial distribution and stress resistance of the interacting partners. The use of polymicrobial cultivation approaches has facilitated a more thorough understanding of microbial dynamics in mixed microbial communities, such as those composed of fungi and bacteria, and their influence on ecosystem functions. Mixed (multi-domain) microbial communities exhibit unique associations and interactions that could result in more efficient systems for the degradation and removal of organic pollutants. Several previous studies have reported enhanced biodegradation of certain pollutants when using combined fungal-bacterial treatments compared to pure cultures or communities of either fungi or bacteria (single domain systems). This article reviews: (i) the mechanisms of pollutant degradation that can occur in fungal-bacterial systems (e.g.: co-degradation, production of secondary metabolites, enhancement of degradative enzyme production, and transport of bacteria by fungal mycelia); (ii) case studies using fungal-bacterial co-cultures for the removal of various organic pollutants (synthetic dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and other trace or volatile organic compounds) in different environmental matrices (e.g. water, gas/vapors, soil); (iii) the key aspects of engineering artificial fungal-bacterial co-cultures, and (iv) the current challenges and future perspectives of using fungal-bacterial co-cultures for environmental remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika J Espinosa-Ortiz
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Eldon R Rene
- Department of Water Supply, Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, 2601DA Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Robin Gerlach
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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16
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Scognamiglio V, Giardi MT, Zappi D, Touloupakis E, Antonacci A. Photoautotrophs-Bacteria Co-Cultures: Advances, Challenges and Applications. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:3027. [PMID: 34199583 PMCID: PMC8199690 DOI: 10.3390/ma14113027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic microorganisms are among the fundamental living organisms exploited for millennia in many industrial applications, including the food chain, thanks to their adaptable behavior and intrinsic proprieties. The great multipotency of these photoautotroph microorganisms has been described through their attitude to become biofarm for the production of value-added compounds to develop functional foods and personalized drugs. Furthermore, such biological systems demonstrated their potential for green energy production (e.g., biofuel and green nanomaterials). In particular, the exploitation of photoautotrophs represents a concrete biorefinery system toward sustainability, currently a highly sought-after concept at the industrial level and for the environmental protection. However, technical and economic issues have been highlighted in the literature, and in particular, challenges and limitations have been identified. In this context, a new perspective has been recently considered to offer solutions and advances for the biomanufacturing of photosynthetic materials: the co-culture of photoautotrophs and bacteria. The rational of this review is to describe the recently released information regarding this microbial consortium, analyzing the critical issues, the strengths and the next challenges to be faced for the intentions attainment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Scognamiglio
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Via Salaria Km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (M.T.G.); (D.Z.)
| | - Maria Teresa Giardi
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Via Salaria Km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (M.T.G.); (D.Z.)
- Biosensor S.r.l., Via Olmetti 44, 00060 Formello, Italy
| | - Daniele Zappi
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Via Salaria Km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (M.T.G.); (D.Z.)
| | - Eleftherios Touloupakis
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy;
| | - Amina Antonacci
- Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council, Via Salaria Km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy; (V.S.); (M.T.G.); (D.Z.)
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17
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Qi M, Liang B, Zhang L, Ma X, Yan L, Dong W, Kong D, Zhang L, Zhu H, Gao SH, Jiang J, Liu SJ, Corvini PFX, Wang A. Microbial Interactions Drive the Complete Catabolism of the Antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole in Activated Sludge Microbiomes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:3270-3282. [PMID: 33566597 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c06687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microbial communities are believed to outperform monocultures in the complete catabolism of organic pollutants via reduced metabolic burden and increased robustness to environmental challenges; however, the interaction mechanism in functional microbiomes remains poorly understood. Here, three functionally differentiated activated sludge microbiomes (S1: complete catabolism of sulfamethoxazole (SMX); S2: complete catabolism of the phenyl part of SMX ([phenyl]-SMX) with stable accumulation of its heterocyclic product 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole (3A5MI); A: complete catabolism of 3A5MI rather than [phenyl]-SMX) were enriched. Combining time-series cultivation-independent microbial community analysis, DNA-stable isotope probing, molecular ecological network analysis, and cultivation-dependent function verification, we identified key players involved in the SMX degradation process. Paenarthrobacter and Nocardioides were primary degraders for the initial cleavage of the sulfonamide functional group (-C-S-N- bond) and 3A5MI degradation, respectively. Complete catabolism of SMX was achieved by their cross-feeding. The co-culture of Nocardioides, Acidovorax, and Sphingobium demonstrated that the nondegraders Acidovorax and Sphingobium were involved in the enhancement of 3A5MI degradation. Moreover, we unraveled the internal labor division patterns and connections among the active members centered on the two primary degraders. Overall, the proposed methodology is promisingly applicable and would help generate mechanistic, predictive, and operational understanding of the collaborative biodegradation of various contaminants. This study provides useful information for synthetic activated sludge microbiomes with optimized environmental functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Bin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Key Lab of Microbiology for Agricultural Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaodan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Lei Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wenchen Dong
- Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Deyong Kong
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Liying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Haizhen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shu-Hong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiandong Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, Key Lab of Microbiology for Agricultural Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shuang-Jiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Philippe F-X Corvini
- Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz 4132, Switzerland
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Aijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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18
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Lindemann SR. A piece of the pie: engineering microbiomes by exploiting division of labor in complex polysaccharide consumption. Curr Opin Chem Eng 2020; 30:96-102. [PMID: 32968619 PMCID: PMC7505235 DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Although microbes competing for simple substrates are well-known to obey the ecological competitive exclusion principle, little is known regarding how complex substrates influence the ecology of microbial communities. The vast structural diversity of polysaccharides makes them ideal substrates for cooperative microbial degradation. Potential mechanisms for division of metabolic labor in microbial communities consuming polysaccharides are 1) complementary differences in gene content, 2) alternate regulation of polysaccharide degradation genes, 3) subtle differences in hydrolytic enzyme functionality, and 4) specialization in transport and consumption of hydrolysis products. Engineering division of labor in polysaccharide degradation using these mechanisms as control points may improve our ability to engineer microbiomes for improved productivity and stability in diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R. Lindemann
- Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
- Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
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19
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Partners for life: building microbial consortia for the future. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 66:292-300. [PMID: 33202280 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
New technologies have allowed researchers to better design, build, and analyze complex consortia. These developments are fueling a wider implementation of consortium-based bioprocessing by leveraging synthetic biology, delivering on the field's multitudinous promises of higher efficiencies, superior resiliency, augmented capabilities, and modular bioprocessing. Here we chronicle current progress by presenting a range of screening, computational, and biomolecular tools enabling robust population control, efficient division of labor, and programmatic spatial organization; furthermore, we detail corresponding advancements in areas including machine learning, biocontainment, and standardization. Additionally, we show applications in myriad sectors, including medicine, energy and waste sustainability, chemical production, agriculture, and biosensors. Concluding remarks outline areas of growth that will promote the utilization of complex community structures across the biotechnology spectrum.
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Shahab RL, Brethauer S, Davey MP, Smith AG, Vignolini S, Luterbacher JS, Studer MH. A heterogeneous microbial consortium producing short-chain fatty acids from lignocellulose. Science 2020; 369:369/6507/eabb1214. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abb1214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microbial consortia are a promising alternative to monocultures of genetically modified microorganisms for complex biotransformations. We developed a versatile consortium-based strategy for the direct conversion of lignocellulose to short-chain fatty acids, which included the funneling of the lignocellulosic carbohydrates to lactate as a central intermediate in engineered food chains. A spatial niche enabled in situ cellulolytic enzyme production by an aerobic fungus next to facultative anaerobic lactic acid bacteria and the product-forming anaerobes. Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Veillonella criceti, or Megasphaera elsdenii were integrated into the lactate platform to produce 196 kilograms of butyric acid per metric ton of beechwood. The lactate platform demonstrates the benefits of mixed cultures, such as their modularity and their ability to convert complex substrates into valuable biochemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L. Shahab
- Laboratory of Sustainable and Catalytic Processing, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), CH-3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Simone Brethauer
- Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), CH-3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Matthew P. Davey
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Alison G. Smith
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Silvia Vignolini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Jeremy S. Luterbacher
- Laboratory of Sustainable and Catalytic Processing, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael H. Studer
- Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), CH-3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
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21
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Jiang Y, Dong W, Xin F, Jiang M. Designing Synthetic Microbial Consortia for Biofuel Production. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 38:828-831. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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22
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Qian X, Chen L, Sui Y, Chen C, Zhang W, Zhou J, Dong W, Jiang M, Xin F, Ochsenreither K. Biotechnological potential and applications of microbial consortia. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 40:107500. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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23
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Brethauer S, Shahab RL, Studer MH. Impacts of biofilms on the conversion of cellulose. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:5201-5212. [PMID: 32337627 PMCID: PMC7275028 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10595-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Lignocellulose is a widely available renewable carbon source and a promising feedstock for the production of various chemicals in biorefineries. However, its recalcitrant nature is a major hurdle that must be overcome to enable economic conversion processes. Deconstruction of lignocellulose is part of the global carbon cycle, and efficient microbial degradation systems have evolved that might serve as models to improve commercial conversion processes. Biofilms—matrix encased, spatially organized clusters of microbial cells and the predominating lifestyle in nature—have been recognized for their essential role in the degradation of cellulose in nature, e.g., in soils or in the digestive tracts of ruminant animals. Cellulolytic biofilms allow for a high concentration of enzymes at the boundary layer between the solid substrate and the liquid phase and the more complete capture of hydrolysis products directly at the hydrolysis site, which is energetically favorable. Furthermore, enhanced expression of genes for carbohydrate active enzymes as a response to the attachment on solid substrate has been demonstrated for cellulolytic aerobic fungi and anerobic bacteria. In natural multispecies biofilms, the vicinity of different microbial species allows the creation of efficient food webs and synergistic interactions thereby, e.g., avoiding the accumulation of inhibiting metabolites. In this review, these topics are discussed and attempts to realize the benefits of biofilms in targeted applications such as the consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulose are highlighted. Key Points Multispecies biofilms enable efficient lignocellulose destruction in the biosphere. Cellulose degradation by anaerobic bacteria often occurs by monolayered biofilms. Fungal biofilms immobilize enzymes and substrates in an external digestion system. Surface attached cultures typically show higher expression of cellulolytic enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Brethauer
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Robert L Shahab
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Michael H Studer
- School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Laboratory of Biofuels and Biochemicals, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), 3052, Zollikofen, Switzerland.
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24
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Johnson DR, Noack S. Editorial overview: Causes and biotechnological application of microbial metabolic specialization. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 62:iii-vi. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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