Cross-Feeding between Filamentous Cyanobacteria and Symbiotic Bacteria Favors Rapid Photogranulation

Development and challenges of emerging biological technologies for algal-bacterial symbiosis systems: A review

The algal-bacterial symbiosis system (ABSS) is considered as a sustainable wastewater treatment process. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of ABSS for the removal of common pollutant, heavy metals, and especially for emerging pollutants. For the macroscopical level, this review not only describes in detail the reactor types, influencing factors, and the development of the algal-bacterial process, but also innovatively proposes an emerging process that combines an ABSS with other processes, which enhances the efficiency of removing difficult-to-biodegrade pollutants. Further for the microscopic level, interactions between algae and bacteria, including nutrient exchange, signaling transmission and gene transfer, have been deeply discussed the symbiotic relationship with nutrient removal and biomass production. Finally, recommendations are given for the future development of the ABSS. This review comprehensively examines ABSS principles, development, algal-bacterial interactions, and application in wastewater treatment, aiming to deepen theoretical and practical understanding and advance ABSS technology.

Picocyanobacterial-bacterial interactions sustain cyanobacterial blooms in nutrient-limited aquatic environments

Cyanobacterial blooms (CBs) and concomitant water quality issues in oligotrophic/mesotrophic waters have been recently reported, challenging the conventional understanding that CBs are primarily caused by eutrophication. To elucidate the underlying mechanism of CBs in nutrition-deficient waters, the changes in Chlorophyll a (Chl-a), cyanobacterial-bacterial community composition, and certain microbial function in Qingcaosha Reservoir, the global largest tidal estuary storage reservoir, were analyzed systematically and comprehensively after its pilot run (2011-2019) in this study. Although the water quality was improved and stabilized, more frequent occurrences of bloom level of Chl-a (>20 μg L-1) in warm seasons were observed during recent years. The meteorological changes (CO2, sunshine duration, radiation, precipitation, evaporation, and relative humidity), water quality variations (pH, total organic carbon content, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity), accumulated sediments as an endogenous source, as well as unique estuarine conditions collectively facilitated picocyanobacterial-bacterial coexistence and community functional changes in this reservoir. A stable and tight co-occurrence pattern was established between dominant cyanobacteria (Synechococcus, Cyanobium, Planktothrix, Chroococcidiopsis, and Prochlorothrix) and certain heterotrophic bacteria (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes), which contributed to the remineralization of organic matter for cyanobacteria utilization. The relative abundance of chemoorganoheterotrophs and bacteria related to nitrogen transformation (Paracoccus, Rhodoplanes, Nitrosomonas, and Zoogloea) increased, promoting the emergence of CBs in nutrient-limited conditions through enhanced nutrient recycling. In environments with limited nutrients, the interaction between photosynthetic autotrophic microorganisms and heterotrophic bacteria appears to be non-competitive. Instead, they adopt complementary roles within their ecological niche over long-term succession, mutually benefiting from this association. This long-term study confirmed that enhanced nutrient cycling, facilitated by cyanobacterial-bacterial symbiosis following long-term succession, could promote CBs in oligotrophic aquatic environments devoid of external nutrient inputs. This study advances understanding of the mechanisms that trigger and sustain CBs under nutritional constraints, contributing to developing more effective mitigation strategies, ensuring water safety, and maintaining ecological balance.

Metagenomic insights into microalgae-bacterium-virus interactions and viral functions in phycosphere facing environmental fluctuations

Despite the ecological and biotechnological significance of microalgae-bacterium symbionts, the response of host-virus interactions to external environmental fluctuations and the role of viruses in phycosphere remain largely unexplored. Herein, we employed algal-bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) with varying light intensity and organic carbon loading to investigate the mechanisms of microalgae-bacterium-virus symbionts in response to environmental fluctuations. Metagenomics revealed that enhanced light intensity decreased the diversity of microalgae, so did the diversity of symbiotic bacteria and viruses. As carbon sources decreased, bacteria prompted horizontal gene transfer in phycosphere by 12.76 %-157.40 %, increased the proportion of oligotrophs as keystone species (0.00 % vs 14.29 %) as well as viruses using oligotrophs as hosts (18.52 % vs 25.00 %). Furthermore, virus-carried auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) and biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding vitamin B12 synthesis (e.g., cobS), antioxidation (e.g., queC), and microbial aggregation (e.g., cysE). Additionally, phylogenetic and similarity analysis further revealed the evolutionary origin and potential horizontal transfer of the AMGs and BGCs, which could potentially enhance the adaptability of bacteria and eukaryotic microalgae. Overall, our research demonstrates that environmental fluctuations have cascading effects on the microalgae-bacteria-virus interactions, and emphasizes the important role of viruses in maintaining the stability of the phycosphere symbiotic community.

Novel insights into the biological state in algal-bacterial granular sludge granulation: Armor-like protection provided by the algal barrier

Algal-bacterial granular sludge (ABGS) composed of microalgae and aerobic granular sludge, is a sustainable and promising technology for wastewater treatment. However, the formation mechanism of ABGS has not been clearly defined, and the direct formation of ABGS in saline wastewater has rarely been investigated. This study proposed novel insights into the granulation process of ABGS by assembling the algal barrier, which was successfully cultivated directly in saline wastewater. The results concluded that ABGS with the algal barrier maintained a higher biomass (MLSS of 7046 ± 61 mg/L), larger particle sizes (1.21 ± 0.06 mm), and better settleability (SVI30 of 46 ± 1 mL/g), enabling efficient pollutants removal. Soluble microbial products (SMP) were found to be closely related to the emergence of the algal barrier. In addition, under salinity stress, the high production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS, 133.70 ± 1.40 mg/g VSS), specifically TB-EPS (90.29 ± 1.12 mg/g VSS), maintained a crucial role in the formation of ABGS. Further analysis indicated that biofilm producing bacteria Pseudofulvimonas and filamentous eukaryote Streptophyta were the key players in ABGS formation with the algal barrier. Furthermore, the enhancement of key genes and enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism, TCA cycle, and polysaccharide metabolism suggested a more robust protective effect provided by the algal barrier. This study is expected to advance the application of simultaneous ABGS formation and pollutant removal in wastewater.

Enhancing the performance of microalgal-bacterial systems with sodium bicarbonate: A step forward to carbon neutrality of municipal wastewater treatment

The microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS) process, enhanced with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), offers a sustainable alternative for wastewater treatment aiming for carbon neutrality. This study demonstrates that NaHCO3, which can be derived from the flue gases and alkaline textile wastewater, significantly enhances pollutant removal and biomass production. Optimal addition of NaHCO3 was found to achieve an inorganic-to-organic carbon ratio of 1.0 and a total carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 5.0. Metagenomic analysis and structural equation modeling showed that NaHCO3 addition increased dissolved oxygen concentrations and pH levels, creating a more favorable environment for key microbial communities, including Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Cyanobacteria. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further confirmed enhanced interactions between Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria/Chloroflexi, facilitating the MBGS process. These microbes harbored functional genes (gap2, GLU, and ppk) critical for removing organics, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Carbon footprint analysis revealed significant reductions in CO2 emissions by the NaHCO3-added MBGS process in representative countries (China, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Morocco), compared to the conventional activated sludge process. These findings highlight the effectiveness of NaHCO3 in optimizing MBGS process, establishing it as a key strategy in achieving carbon-neutral wastewater treatment globally.

Principles, challenges, and optimization of indigenous microalgae-bacteria consortium for sustainable swine wastewater treatment

Indigenous microalgae-bacteria consortium (IMBC) offers significant advantages for swine wastewater (SW) treatment including enhanced adaptability and resource recovery. In this review, the approaches for enriching IMBC both in situ and ex situ were comprehensively described, followed by symbiotic mechanisms for IMBC which involve metabolic cross-feeding and signal transmission. Strategies for enhancing treatment efficiencies of SW-originated IMBC were then introduced, including improving SW quality, optimizing system operating conditions, and adjusting microbial activities. Recommendations for maximizing treatment efficiencies were particularly proposed using a decision tree approach. Moreover, removal/recovery mechanisms for typical pollutants in SW using IMBC were critically discussed. Ultimately, a technical route termed SW-IMBC-Crop-Pig was proposed, to achieve a closed-loop economy for pig farms by integrating SW treatment with crop cultivation. This review provides a deeper understanding of the mechanism and strategies for IMBC's resource recovery from SW.

Mechanisms of microbial co-aggregation in mixed anaerobic cultures

Co-aggregation of anaerobic microorganisms into suspended microbial biofilms (aggregates) serves ecological and biotechnological functions. Tightly packed aggregates of metabolically interdependent bacteria and archaea play key roles in cycling of carbon and nitrogen. Additionally, in biotechnological applications, such as wastewater treatment, microbial aggregates provide a complete metabolic network to convert complex organic material. Currently, experimental data explaining the mechanisms behind microbial co-aggregation in anoxic environments is scarce and scattered across the literature. To what extent does this process resemble co-aggregation in aerobic environments? Does the limited availability of terminal electron acceptors drive mutualistic microbial relationships, contrary to the commensal relationships observed in oxygen-rich environments? And do co-aggregating bacteria and archaea, which depend on each other to harvest the bare minimum Gibbs energy from energy-poor substrates, use similar cellular mechanisms as those used by pathogenic bacteria that form biofilms? Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of why and how mixed anaerobic microbial communities co-aggregate and discuss potential future scientific advancements that could improve the study of anaerobic suspended aggregates. KEY POINTS: • Metabolic dependency promotes aggregation of anaerobic bacteria and archaea • Flagella, pili, and adhesins play a role in the formation of anaerobic aggregates • Cyclic di-GMP/AMP signaling may trigger the polysaccharides production in anaerobes.

A typical acidic extracellular polysaccharide alludes to algae-bacteria-collaboration in microalgal-bacterial symbiosis

Microalgal-bacterial symbioses are prevalent in aquatic ecosystems and play a pivotal role in carbon sequestration, significantly contributing to global carbon cycling. The understanding of the contribution of exopolysaccharides (EPSs), a crucial carbon-based component, to the structural integrity of microalgal-bacterial symbioses remains insufficiently elucidated. To address this gap, our study aims to enhance our comprehension of the composition and primary structure of EPSs within a specific type of granular microalgal-bacterial symbiosis named microalgal-bacterial granular sludge (MBGS). Our investigation reveals that the acidic EPSs characteristic of this symbiosis have molecular weights ranging from several hundred thousand to over one million Daltons, including components like glucopyranose, galactopyranose, mannose, and rhamnose. Our elucidation of the backbone linkage of a representative exopolysaccharide revealed a →3)-β-D-Galp-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→ glycosidic linkage. This linear structure closely resembles bacterial xanthan, while the branched chain structure bears similarities to algal EPSs. Our findings highlight the collaborative synthesis of acidic EPSs by both microalgae and bacteria, emphasizing their joint contribution in the production of macromolecules within microalgal-bacterial symbiosis. This collaborative synthesis underscores the intricate molecular interactions contributing to the stability and function of these symbiotic relationships.

Beyond feast and famine: Cultivating hydrodynamic oxygenic photogranules with better performances under permanent feast regime

Oxygenic photogranules (OPGs) are currently obtained in permanent famine or cyclic feast-famine regimes. Whether photogranulation occurs under a permanent feast regime and how these regimes impact OPGs are unknown. Herein, the three regimes, each applied in two replicate hydrodynamic reactors, were established by different feeding frequencies. Results showed that OPGs were successfully cultivated in all regimes after 24-36 days of photogranulation phases with similar microbial community functions, including filamentous gliding, extracellular polymeric substances production, and carbon/nitrogen metabolism. The OPGs were then operated under the same sequencing batch mode and all achieved efficient removal of chemical oxygen demand (>91 %), ammonium (>96 %), and total nitrogen (>76 %) after different adaptation periods (19-41 days). Notably, the permanent feast regime obtained OPGs with the best physicochemical properties, the shortest adaptation period, and the lowest effluent turbidity, thus representing a novel means of hydrodynamic cultivating OPGs with better performances for sustainable wastewater treatment.

Communication mediated interaction between bacteria and microalgae advances photogranulation

Recently, photogranules composed of bacteria and microalgae for carbon-negative nitrogen removal receive extensive attention worldwide, yet which type of bacteria is helpful for rapid formation of photogranules and whether they depend on signaling communication remain elusive. Varied signaling communication was analyzed using metagenomic method among bacteria and microalgae in via of two types of experimentally verified signaling molecule from bacteria to microalgae, which include indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) during the operation of photo-bioreactors. Signaling communication is helpful for the adaptability of bacteria to survive with algae. Compared with non-signaling bacteria, signaling bacteria more easily adapt to the varied conditions, evidenced by the increased abundance in the operated reactors. Signaling bacteria are easier to enter the phycosphere, and they dominate the interactions between bacteria and algae rather than non-signaling bacteria. The co-abundance groups (CAGs) with signaling bacteria possess higher abundance than that without signaling bacteria (22.27 % and 6.67 %). Importantly, signaling bacteria accessibly interact with microalgae, which possess higher degree centralities and 32.50 % of them are keystone nodes in the network, in contrast to only 18.66 % of non-signaling bacteria. Thauera carrying both IAA and AHLs synthase genes are highly enriched and positively correlated with nitrogen removal rate. Our work not only highlights the essential roles of signaling communication between microalgae and bacteria in the development of photogranules, but also enriches our understanding of microbial sociobiology.