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Hu P, Qian Y, Xu Y, Radian A, Yang Y, Gu JD. A positive contribution to nitrogen removal by a novel NOB in a full-scale duck wastewater treatment system. WATER RESEARCH X 2024; 24:100237. [PMID: 39155949 PMCID: PMC11327836 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2024.100237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are undesirable in the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox)-driven nitrogen removal technologies in the modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Diverse strategies have been developed to suppress NOB based on their physiological properties that we have understood. But our knowledge of the diversity and mechanisms employed by NOB for survival in the modern WWTPs remains limited. Here, Three NOB species (NOB01-03) were recovered from the metagenomic datasets of a full-scale WWTP treating duck breeding wastewater. Among them, NOB01 and NOB02 were classified as newly identified lineage VII, tentatively named Candidatus (Ca.) Nitrospira NOB01 and Ca. Nitrospira NOB02. Analyses of genomes and in situ transcriptomes revealed that these two novel NOB were active and showed a high metabolic versatility. The transcriptional activity of Ca. Nitrospira could be detected in all tanks with quite different dissolved oxygen (DO) (0.01-5.01 mg/L), illustrating Ca. Nitrospira can survive in fluctuating DO conditions. The much lower Ca. Nitrospira abundance on the anammox bacteria-enriched sponge carrier likely originated from the intensification substrate (NO2 -) competition from anammox and denitrifying bacteria. In particular, a highlight is that Ca. Nitrospira encoded and treanscribed cyanate hydratase (CynS), amine oxidase, urease (UreC), and copper-containing nitrite reductase (NirK) related to ammonium and NO production, driving NOB to interact with the co-existed AOB and anammox bacteria. Ca. Nitrospira strains NOB01 and NOB02 showed quite different niche preference in the same aerobic tank, which dominanted the NOB communities in activated sludge and biofilm, respectively. In addition to the common rTCA cycle for CO2 fixation, a reductive glycine pathway (RGP) was encoded and transcribed by NOB02 likely for CO2 fixation purpose. Additionally, a 3b group hydrogenase and respiratory nitrate reductase were uniquely encoded and transcribed by NOB02, which likely confer a survival advantage to this strain in the fluctuant activated sludge niche. The discovery of this new genus significantly broadens our understanding of the ecophysiology of NOB. Furthermore, the impressive metabolic versatility of the novel NOB revealed in this study advances our understanding of the survival strategy of NOB and provides valuable insight for suppressing NOB in the anammox-based WWTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Hu
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel
- Environmental Science and Engineering Research Group, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, People’s Republic of China
| | - Youfen Qian
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel
- Environmental Science and Engineering Research Group, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanbin Xu
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Adi Radian
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel
| | - Yuchun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ji-Dong Gu
- Environmental Science and Engineering Research Group, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, People’s Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, People’s Republic of China
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2
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Sampara P, Lawson CE, Scarborough MJ, Ziels RM. Advancing environmental biotechnology with microbial community modeling rooted in functional 'omics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 88:103165. [PMID: 39033648 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Emerging biotechnologies that solve pressing environmental and climate emergencies will require harnessing the vast functional diversity of the underlying microbiomes driving such engineered processes. Modeling is a critical aspect of process engineering that informs system design as well as aids diagnostic optimization of performance. 'Conventional' bioprocess models assume homogenous biomass within functional guilds and thus fail to predict emergent properties of diverse microbial physiologies, such as product specificity and community interactions. Yet, recent advances in functional 'omics-based approaches can provide a 'lens' through which we can probe and measure in situ ecophysiologies of environmental microbiomes. Here, we overview microbial community modeling approaches that incorporate functional 'omics data, which we posit can advance our ability to design and control new environmental biotechnologies going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav Sampara
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christopher E Lawson
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew J Scarborough
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Ryan M Ziels
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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3
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Wang S, Xiao M, Jiang L, Jin Y, Zhou Y, Yu L, Armanbek G, Wang M, Ma J, Zhu G. Diverse metabolism drives comammox in continental-scale agricultural streams: Important ammonia oxidation but low N 2O production. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 947:174411. [PMID: 38960159 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Agriculture receives approximately 25 % of the annual global nitrogen input, 37 % of which subsequently runs off into adjacent low-order streams and surface water, where it may contribute to high nitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O). However, the mechanisms of nitrification and the pathways controlling N2O production in agricultural streams remain unknown. Here, we report that the third microbial ammonia oxidation process, complete ammonia oxidation (comammox), is widespread and contributes to important ammonia oxidation with low ammonia-N2O conversion in both basin- and continental-scale agricultural streams. The contribution of comammox to ammonia oxidation (21.5 ± 2.3 %) was between that of bacterial (68.6 ± 2.7 %) and archaeal (9.9 ± 1.8 %) ammonia oxidation. Interestingly, N2O production by comammox (18.5 ± 2.1 %) was higher than archaeal (10.5 ± 1.9 %) but significantly lower than bacterial (70.2 ± 2.6 %) ammonia oxidation. The first metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) of comammox bacteria from agricultural streams further revealed their potential extensive diverse and specific metabolism. Their wide habitats might be attributed to the diverse metabolism, i.e. harboring the functional gene of nitrate reduction to ammonia, while the lower N2O would be attributed to their lacking biological function to produce N2O. Our results highlight the importance of widespread comammox in agricultural streams, both for the fate of ammonia fertilizer and for climate change. However, it has not yet been routinely included in Earth system models and IPCC global assessments. Synopsis Widespread but overlooked comammox contributes to important ammonia oxidation but low N2O production, which were proved by the first comammox MAG found in agricultural streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanyun Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Manyi Xiao
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Liping Jiang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yucheng Jin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yuting Zhou
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Longbin Yu
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gawhar Armanbek
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Manting Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jingchen Ma
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Guibing Zhu
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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4
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Shankar N, Shetty P, Melo TC, Kesseli R. Multi-Generation Ecosystem Selection of Rhizosphere Microbial Communities Associated with Plant Genotype and Biomass in Arabidopsis thaliana. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2932. [PMID: 38138075 PMCID: PMC10745315 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122932] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of the microbiome in shaping the host's phenotype has emerged as a critical area of investigation, with implications in ecology, evolution, and host health. The complex and dynamic interactions involving plants and their diverse rhizospheres' microbial communities are influenced by a multitude of factors, including but not limited to soil type, environment, and plant genotype. Understanding the impact of these factors on microbial community assembly is key to yielding host-specific and robust benefits for plants, yet it remains challenging. Here, we conducted an artificial ecosystem selection experiment for eight generations of Arabidopsis thaliana Ler and Cvi to select soil microbiomes associated with a higher or lower biomass of the host. This resulted in divergent microbial communities shaped by a complex interplay between random environmental variations, plant genotypes, and biomass selection pressures. In the initial phases of the experiment, the genotype and the biomass selection treatment had modest but significant impacts. Over time, the plant genotype and biomass treatments gained more influence, explaining ~40% of the variation in the microbial community's composition. Furthermore, a genotype-specific association of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterial taxa, Labraceae with Ler and Rhizobiaceae with Cvi, was observed under selection for high biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nachiket Shankar
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA (R.K.)
| | - Prateek Shetty
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Tatiana C. Melo
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA (R.K.)
| | - Rick Kesseli
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA (R.K.)
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5
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Sasi R, Suchithra TV. Wastewater microbial diversity versus molecular analysis at a glance: a mini-review. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:3033-3039. [PMID: 37723328 PMCID: PMC10689596 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-01130-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms play a vital role in biological wastewater treatment by converting organic and toxic materials into harmless substances. Understanding microbial communities' structure, taxonomy, phylogeny, and metabolic activities is essential to improve these processes. Molecular microbial ecology employs molecular techniques to study community profiles and phylogenetic information since culture-dependent approaches have limitations in providing a comprehensive understanding of microbial diversity in a system. Genomic advancements such as DNA hybridization, microarray analysis, sequencing, and reverse sample genome probing have enabled the detailed characterization of microbial communities in wastewater treatment facilities. This mini-review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the diversity of microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants, emphasizing critical microbial processes such as nitrogen and phosphorus removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sasi
- School of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala, India, 673601
| | - T V Suchithra
- School of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala, India, 673601.
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6
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Jiang W, Chen R, Lyu J, Qin L, Wang G, Chen X, Wang Y, Yin C, Mao Z. Remediation of the microecological environment of heavy metal-contaminated soil with fulvic acid, improves the quality and yield of apple. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 460:132399. [PMID: 37647659 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132399] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
The excessive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in apple orchards is responsible for high levels of manganese and copper in soil, and this poses a serious threat to soil health. We conducted a three-year field experiment to study the remediation effect and mechanism of fulvic acid on soil with excess manganese and copper. The exogenous application of fulvic acid significantly reduced the content of manganese and copper in soil and plants; increased the content of calcium; promoted the growth of apple plants; improved the fruit quality and yield of apple; increased the content of chlorophyll; increased the activity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase; and reduced the content of malondialdehyde. The number of soil culturable microorganisms, soil enzyme activity, soil microbial community diversity, and relative abundance of functional bacteria were increased, and the detoxification of the glutathione metabolism function was enhanced. The results of this study provide new insights that will aid the remediation of soil with excess manganese and copper using fulvic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weitao Jiang
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Apple Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Ran Chen
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Apple Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Jinhui Lyu
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Apple Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Lei Qin
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Apple Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Gongshuai Wang
- College of Forestry Engineering Shandong Agriculture and Engineering University, Ji'nan, Shandong 250000, PR China
| | - Xuesen Chen
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Apple Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Yanfang Wang
- College of Chemistry and Material Science Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China
| | - Chengmiao Yin
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Apple Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
| | - Zhiquan Mao
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China; Apple Technology Innovation Center of Shandong Province, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, PR China.
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7
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Su Z, Liu T, Guo J, Zheng M. Nitrite Oxidation in Wastewater Treatment: Microbial Adaptation and Suppression Challenges. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:12557-12570. [PMID: 37589598 PMCID: PMC10470456 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Microbial nitrite oxidation is the primary pathway that generates nitrate in wastewater treatment systems and can be performed by a variety of microbes: namely, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). Since NOB were first isolated 130 years ago, the understanding of the phylogenetical and physiological diversities of NOB has been gradually deepened. In recent endeavors of advanced biological nitrogen removal, NOB have been more considered as a troublesome disruptor, and strategies on NOB suppression often fail in practice after long-term operation due to the growth of specific NOB that are able to adapt to even harsh conditions. In line with a review of the history of currently known NOB genera, a phylogenetic tree is constructed to exhibit a wide range of NOB in different phyla. In addition, the growth behavior and metabolic performance of different NOB strains are summarized. These specific features of various NOB (e.g., high oxygen affinity of Nitrospira, tolerance to chemical inhibitors of Nitrobacter and Candidatus Nitrotoga, and preference to high temperature of Nitrolancea) highlight the differentiation of the NOB ecological niche in biological nitrogen processes and potentially support their adaptation to different suppression strategies (e.g., low dissolved oxygen, chemical treatment, and high temperature). This review implicates the acquired physiological characteristics of NOB to their emergence from a genomic and ecological perspective and emphasizes the importance of understanding physiological characterization and genomic information in future wastewater treatment studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Su
- Australian Centre for Water
and Environmental Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Tao Liu
- Australian Centre for Water
and Environmental Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water
and Environmental Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Min Zheng
- Australian Centre for Water
and Environmental Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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8
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Wang M, Yu Y, Ren Y, Wang J, Chen H. Effect of antibiotic and/or heavy metal on nitrogen cycle of sediment-water interface in aquaculture system: Implications from sea cucumber culture. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 325:121453. [PMID: 36934965 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics and heavy metals can have a negative impact on the nitrogen (N) cycle and microbial metabolism in coastal aquaculture environment. An indoor simulated culture experiment was conducted to explore how sulfadiazine and lead influence the N cycling in aquatic environment. Specifically, the experiment involved adding sulfadiazine (SDZ), lead (Pb), a combination of SDZ and Pb (SP), and a control group (CK). The fluxes and contents of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) and nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) in sediment-water interface and sediments, the abundance of N cycle function genes (amoA_AOB, hzsA, nar, nirK, nirS, norB and nosZ) and microbiota in sediments were analyzed. The results showed that the presence of SDZ and Pb inhibited the nitrification function gene and nitrifiers abundance in surface sediment, and thus leading to more accumulation of NH4+ and NO2- in overlying water. Pb exposure increased the abundances of denitrifying bacteria stimulated the first three steps of denitrification in the sediment, resulting in more removal of NO3- from the sediment, but possibly had the risk of releasing more greenhouse gas N2O. Conversely, the presence of SDZ ultimately inhibited denitrification and anammox bacterial activities in the sediment. This study revealed how heavy metal and antibiotic impair the microbial communities and N cycling function gene expression, leading to the deterioration of typical coastal aquaculture environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengshu Wang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Yu Yu
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Yichao Ren
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266235, China.
| | - Jinye Wang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266235, China
| | - Hui Chen
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266235, China
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9
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Araujo ASF, Jia X, Miranda ARL, Pereira APDA, Melo VMM, Rocha SMB, Costa RM, Saraiva TCDS, Mendes LW, Salles JF. Changes in the bacterial rare biosphere after permanent application of composted tannery sludge in a tropical soil. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 313:137487. [PMID: 36521745 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137487] [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: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Composted tannery sludge (CTS) promotes shifts in soil chemical properties, affecting microbial communities. Although the effect of CTS application on the bacterial community has been studied, it is unclear whether this impact discriminates between the dominant and rare species. This present study investigated how the dominant and rare bacterial communities respond over time to different concentrations of CTS application (0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 tons/ha) for 180 days. The richness of operational taxonomic units (OTU) was 30-fold higher in the rare than in the dominant biosphere. While some phyla shifted their relative abundance differently in the dominant and rare biosphere, some genera increased their relative abundance under higher CTS concentrations, such as Nocardioides (∼100%), Rubrobacter (∼300%), and Nordella (∼400%). Undominated processes largely governed the dominant biosphere (76.97%), followed by homogeneous (12.51%) and variable (8.03%) selection, and to a lesser extent, the dispersal limitation (2.48%). The rare biosphere was driven by the CTS application as evidenced by the exclusively homogeneous selection (100%). This study showed that the rare biosphere was more sensitive to changes in soil chemical parameters due to CTS application, which evidences the importance explore this portion of the bacterial community for its biotechnological use in contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiu Jia
- Microbial Ecology Cluster, Genomics Research in Ecology and Evolution in Nature (GREEN), Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen 9747AG, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lucas William Mendes
- Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, SP Brazil
| | - Joana Falcão Salles
- Microbial Ecology Cluster, Genomics Research in Ecology and Evolution in Nature (GREEN), Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen 9747AG, the Netherlands
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10
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Cotto I, Vilardi KJ, Huo L, Fogarty EC, Khunjar W, Wilson C, De Clippeleir H, Gilmore K, Bailey E, Lücker S, Pinto AJ. Low diversity and microdiversity of comammox bacteria in wastewater systems suggest specific adaptations within the Ca. Nitrospira nitrosa cluster. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 229:119497. [PMID: 36563511 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Studies have found Ca. Nitrospira nitrosa-like bacteria to be the principal or sole comammox bacteria in nitrogen removal systems for wastewater treatment. In contrast, multiple populations of strict ammonia and nitrite oxidizers co-exist in similar systems. This apparent lack of diversity is surprising and could impact the feasibility of leveraging comammox bacteria for nitrogen removal. We used full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and genome-resolved metagenomics to compare the species-level diversity of comammox bacteria with that of strict nitrifiers in full-scale wastewater treatment systems and assess whether this comparison is consistent or diverged at the strain-level. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that Nitrosomonas-like bacteria exhibited higher species-level diversity in comparison with other nitrifying bacteria, while the strain-level diversity (also called microdiversity) of most Nitrospira-like bacteria were higher than Nitrosomonas-like bacteria with few exceptions (one Nitrospira lineage II population). Comammox bacterial metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) were associated with Ca. Nitrospira nitrosa. The average amino acid identity between principal comammox bacterial MAGs (93% ± 3) across systems was significantly higher than that of the Nitrosomonas-like ammonia oxidizers (73% ± 8), the Nitrospira_A-like nitrite oxidizer (85% ± 4), and the Nitrospira_D-like nitrite oxidizer (83% ± 1). This demonstrated the low species-level diversity of comammox bacteria compared with strict nitrifiers and further suggests that the same comammox population was detected in all systems. Comammox bacteria (Nitrospira lineage II), Nitrosomonas and, Nitrospira_D (Nitrospira lineage II) MAGs were significantly less microdiverse than the Nitrospira_A (lineage I) MAGs. Interestingly, strain-resolved analysis also indicates that different nitrogen removal systems harbor different comammox bacterial strains within the Ca. Nitrospira nitrosa cluster. These results suggest that comammox bacteria associated with Ca. Nitrospira nitrosa have low species- and strain-level diversity in nitrogen removal systems and may thus harbor specific adaptations to the wastewater ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irmarie Cotto
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Katherine J Vilardi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Linxuan Huo
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Emily C Fogarty
- Committee on Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | | | | | - Kevin Gilmore
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, United States
| | - Erika Bailey
- City of Raleigh Public Utilities, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Sebastian Lücker
- Department of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ameet J Pinto
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States.
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11
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Chen H, Liu K, Yang E, Chen J, Gu Y, Wu S, Yang M, Wang H, Wang D, Li H. A critical review on microbial ecology in the novel biological nitrogen removal process: Dynamic balance of complex functional microbes for nitrogen removal. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159462. [PMID: 36257429 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The novel biological nitrogen removal process has been extensively studied for its high nitrogen removal efficiency, energy efficiency, and greenness. A successful novel biological nitrogen removal process has a stable microecological equilibrium and benign interactions between the various functional bacteria. However, changes in the external environment can easily disrupt the dynamic balance of the microecology and affect the activity of functional bacteria in the novel biological nitrogen removal process. Therefore, this review focuses on the microecology in existing the novel biological nitrogen removal process, including the growth characteristics of functional microorganisms and their interactions, together with the effects of different influencing factors on the evolution of microbial communities. This provides ideas for achieving a stable dynamic balance of the microecology in a novel biological nitrogen removal process. Furthermore, to investigate deeply the mechanisms of microbial interactions in novel biological nitrogen removal process, this review also focuses on the influence of quorum sensing (QS) systems on nitrogen removal microbes, regulated by which bacteria secrete acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) as signaling molecules to regulate microbial ecology in the novel biological nitrogen removal process. However, the mechanisms of action of AHLs on the regulation of functional bacteria have not been fully determined and the composition of QS system circuits requires further investigation. Meanwhile, it is necessary to further apply molecular analysis techniques and the theory of systems ecology in the future to enhance the exploration of microbial species and ecological niches, providing a deeper scientific basis for the development of a novel biological nitrogen removal process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China; Laboratory of Environmental Protection Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Ke Liu
- China Machinery International Engineering Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd, Changsha 410007, China
| | - Enzhe Yang
- Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Yanling Gu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Sha Wu
- Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China.
| | - Min Yang
- Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Dongting Lake Aquatic Eco-Environmental Control and Restoration of Hunan Province, School of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Hailong Li
- School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China.
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12
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Patra RK, Behera D, Mohapatra KK, Sethi D, Mandal M, Patra AK, Ravindran B. Juxtaposing the quality of compost and vermicompost produced from organic wastes amended with cow dung. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:114119. [PMID: 36007568 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Composting is a propitious technology to change bio-degradable solid waste into organic fertilizers. Considering this, five types of organic waste viz., leaf litter (Tectona grandis), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), cauliflower waste (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), coir pith, and mushroom spent waste were composted with and without the use of earthworm (Eisenia fetida). The reaction (pH) and electrical conductivity of compost and vermicompost ranged from 6.98 to 7.45 and 6.97 to 7.36, 0.11 to 0.21 dSm-1, and 0.11 to 0.25 dSm-1, respectively. The chemical oxygen demand both the compost and vermicompost ranged from 687 to 1170 mg l-1 and 633-980 mg l-1 respectively. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged from, 75 to 121 (c mol (p+) kg-1, and 80 to 127 (c mol (p+) kg-1, respectively. The C:N of compost and vermicompost varied from 16:1 to 33:1 and 12:1 to 19:1, respectively. The organic carbon content was decreased (18.3-38.7%), while secondary and micronutrient contents increased over the initial concentration. The NH4+ and NO3- content of compost and vermicompost ranged from 270 to 510 mg kg-1 and 230-430 mg kg-1, 560 to 105 mg kg-1, and 690-1100 mg kg-1, respectively. The nitrification index (NH4+/NO3-) ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 in composts and 0.3 to 0.6 in vermicomposts. The dehydrogenase and urease activity varied from 685 to 1696 μg g-1 hr-1 and 938-2549 μg TPF g-1 day-1 respectively. The bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes population were 2-3, 0.3-0.7 and 3-8 times more in vermicompost over the corresponding compost. This study confirmed that compared to compost, vermicompost showed better nutrients and microbial properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjan Kumar Patra
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751003, India
| | - Denish Behera
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751003, India
| | - Kiran Kumar Mohapatra
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751003, India
| | - Debadatta Sethi
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751003, India.
| | - Mitali Mandal
- Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751003, India
| | - Alok Kumar Patra
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology Bhubaneswar, 751003, India
| | - Balasubramani Ravindran
- Department of Environmental Energy and Engineering, Kyonggi University, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16227, South Korea; Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai, 602 105, Tamil Nadu, India.
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13
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Zhang Q, Han P, Xu H, Wang Q, Xu G. Survival strategies of Nitrospira in a stable nitritation-denitritation system treating low-strength fermented wastewater. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2022.108674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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14
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Yue H, Banerjee S, Liu C, Ren Q, Zhang W, Zhang B, Tian X, Wei G, Shu D. Fertilizing-induced changes in the nitrifying microbiota associated with soil nitrification and crop yield. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156752. [PMID: 35718181 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and comammox Nitrospira (CMX) play pivotal roles in global nitrogen-cycling network. Despite its importance, the driving forces for niche specialization of these nitrifiers, as well as their relative contributions to nitrification and crop yield have not been fully understood. Here, we investigated the niche specialization and environmental prevalence of nitrifying communities, and their importance for the nitrification rate and crop yield across a gradient of nitrogen inputs in a two-decade old field experiment. The results of 15N-tracer and quantitative PCR revealed that AOB and NOB jointly determined the gross nitrification rates across mineral fertilizer treatments, whereas AOA and AOB contributed more than other nitrifiers to nitrification under with organic fertilizer amendments. Linear regression model revealed that crop yield could be linked with AOB and NOB under inorganic farming but closely associated with CMX under organic management. Amplicon sequencing of these functional genes further demonstrated that mineral and organic fertilizers have distinct influences on the β-diversity and niche breadth of these nitrifying communities, indicating that fertilization triggered niche specialization of nitrifying guilds in agricultural soils. Notably, organic fertilization enhanced the network complexity of these nitrifiers by harboring keystone taxa. Random forest analysis provide robustly evidence for the hypothesis that abundance of functional genes contributed more than a- and β-diversity of these nitrifiers for driving nitrification rates and crop yields. Collectively, these findings provide the empirical evidence for the environmental adaptation and niche specialization of nitrifying communities, and their contributions in nitrification and crop yield when confronted with long-term nitrogen inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Samiran Banerjee
- Department of Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58102, ND, USA
| | - Conghui Liu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qiyong Ren
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wu Zhang
- Heihe Branch, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Heihe, Heilongjiang 150086, China
| | - Baogang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Xiaohong Tian
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Gehong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Duntao Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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15
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Sun W, Jiao L, Wu J, Ye J, Wei M, Hong Y. Existence and distribution of novel phylotypes of Nitrospira in water columnsof the South China Sea. iScience 2022; 25:104895. [PMID: 36039301 PMCID: PMC9418846 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104895] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the biological nitrogen cycle, nitrite oxidation is performed by nitrite oxidation bacteria, of which Nitrospira is widespread and diverse. Communities of Nitrospira were collected at 25-1500 m depths in the South China Sea. Phylogenetic diversity, community composition, and environmental factors were investigated using high-throughput sequencing targeting the nxrB gene and statistical analyses. The community composition of Nitrospira varied spatially and by depth. Among the 24 OTUs with relatively high abundance, 70% were unclassified and not affiliated with the known Nitrospira genus, suggesting a previously unrecognized high diversity of marine Nitrospira. Five known Nitrospira genera were detected, of which the common marine Nitrospira marina was not the dominant species, whereas Candidatus Nitrospira lenta and Candidatus Nitrospira defluvii dominated in shallow habitats. Comammox Candidatus Nitrospira nitrosa was discovered in the marine ecosystem. The niche differentiation of versatile Nitrospira species was mainly shaped by nitrate, temperature, and DO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Sun
- Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, P.R.China.,Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China
| | - Lijing Jiao
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China
| | - Jiapeng Wu
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China
| | - Jiaqi Ye
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China
| | - Mingken Wei
- Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, P.R.China
| | - Yiguo Hong
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China.,Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China
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16
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Sampara P, Luo Y, Lin X, Ziels RM. Integrating Genome-Resolved Metagenomics with Trait-Based Process Modeling to Determine Biokinetics of Distinct Nitrifying Communities within Activated Sludge. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11670-11682. [PMID: 35929783 PMCID: PMC9387530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Conventional bioprocess models for wastewater treatment are based on aggregated bulk biomass concentrations and do not incorporate microbial physiological diversity. Such a broad aggregation of microbial functional groups can fail to predict ecosystem dynamics when high levels of physiological diversity exist within trophic guilds. For instance, functional diversity among nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) can obfuscate engineering strategies for their out-selection in activated sludge (AS), which is desirable to promote energy-efficient nitrogen removal. Here, we hypothesized that different NOB populations within AS can have different physiological traits that drive process performance, which we tested by estimating biokinetic growth parameters using a combination of highly replicated respirometry, genome-resolved metagenomics, and process modeling. A lab-scale AS reactor subjected to a selective pressure for over 90 days experienced resilience of NOB activity. We recovered three coexisting Nitrospira population genomes belonging to two sublineages, which exhibited distinct growth strategies and underwent a compositional shift following the selective pressure. A trait-based process model calibrated at the NOB genus level better predicted nitrite accumulation than a conventional process model calibrated at the NOB guild level. This work demonstrates that trait-based modeling can be leveraged to improve our prediction, control, and design of functionally diverse microbiomes driving key environmental biotechnologies.
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17
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Zhang SN, Wang JG, Wang DQ, Jiang QY, Quan ZX. Abundance and Niche Differentiation of Comammox in the Sludges of Wastewater Treatment Plants That Use the Anaerobic-Anoxic-Aerobic Process. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12070954. [PMID: 35888046 PMCID: PMC9322089 DOI: 10.3390/life12070954] [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: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox), which directly oxidize ammonia to nitrate, were recently identified and found to be ubiquitous in artificial systems. Research on the abundance and niche differentiation of comammox in the sludges of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) would be useful for improving the nitrogen removal efficiency of WWTPs. Here, we investigated the relative abundance and diversity of comammox in fifteen sludges of five WWTPs that use the anaerobic−anoxic−aerobic process in Jinan, China, via quantitative polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and ammonia monooxygenase gene. In the activated sludges in the WWTPs, comammox clade A.1 was widely distributed and mostly comprised Candidatus Nitrospira nitrosa-like comammox (>98% of all comammox). The proportion of this clade was negatively correlated (p < 0.01) with the dissolved oxygen (DO) level (1.7−8 mg/L), and slight pH changes (7.20−7.70) affected the structure of the comammox populations. Nitrospira lineage I frequently coexisted with Nitrosomonas, which generally had a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) with the DO level. Our study provided an insight into the structure of comammox and other nitrifier populations in WWTPs that use the anaerobic−anoxic−aerobic process, broadening the knowledge about the effects of DO on comammox and other nitrifiers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qiu-Yue Jiang
- Correspondence: (Q.-Y.J.); (Z.-X.Q.); Tel.: +86-21-3124-0665 (Z.-X.Q.)
| | - Zhe-Xue Quan
- Correspondence: (Q.-Y.J.); (Z.-X.Q.); Tel.: +86-21-3124-0665 (Z.-X.Q.)
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18
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Suarez C, Sedlacek CJ, Gustavsson DJI, Eiler A, Modin O, Hermansson M, Persson F. Disturbance-based management of ecosystem services and disservices in partial nitritation-anammox biofilms. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:47. [PMID: 35676296 PMCID: PMC9178042 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00308-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The resistance and resilience provided by functional redundancy, a common feature of microbial communities, is not always advantageous. An example is nitrite oxidation in partial nitritation-anammox (PNA) reactors designed for nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment, where suppression of nitrite oxidizers like Nitrospira is sought. In these ecosystems, biofilms provide microhabitats with oxygen gradients, allowing the coexistence of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. We designed a disturbance experiment where PNA biofilms, treating water from a high-rate activated sludge process, were constantly or intermittently exposed to anaerobic sidestream wastewater, which has been proposed to inhibit nitrite oxidizers. With increasing sidestream exposure we observed decreased abundance, alpha-diversity, functional versatility, and hence functional redundancy, among Nitrospira in the PNA biofilms, while the opposite patterns were observed for anammox bacteria within Brocadia. At the same time, species turnover was observed for aerobic ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosomonas populations. The different exposure regimens were associated with metagenomic assembled genomes of Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, and Brocadia, encoding genes related to N-cycling, substrate usage, and osmotic stress response, possibly explaining the three different patterns by niche differentiation. These findings imply that disturbances can be used to manage the functional redundancy of biofilm microbiomes in a desirable direction, which should be considered when designing operational strategies for wastewater treatment.
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19
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Oshiki M, Netsu H, Kuroda K, Narihiro T, Fujii N, Kindaichi T, Suzuki Y, Watari T, Hatamoto M, Yamaguchi T, Araki N, Okabe S. Growth of nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira and ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosomonas in marine recirculating trickling biofilter reactors. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3735-3750. [PMID: 35672869 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Aerobic ammonia and nitrite oxidation reactions are fundamental biogeochemical reactions contributing to the global nitrogen cycle. Although aerobic nitrite oxidation yields 4.8-folds less Gibbs free energy (∆Gr ) than aerobic ammonia oxidation in the NH4 + -feeding marine recirculating trickling biofilter reactors operated in the present study, nitrite-oxidizing and not ammonia-oxidizing Nitrospira (sublineage IV) outnumbered ammonia-oxidizing Nitrosomonas (relative abundance; 53.8% and 7.59% respectively). CO2 assimilation efficiencies during ammonia or nitrite oxidation were 0.077 μmol-14 CO2 /μmol-NH3 and 0.053-0.054 μmol-14 CO2 /μmol-NO2 - respectively, and the difference between ammonia and nitrite oxidation was much smaller than the difference of ∆Gr . Free-energy efficiency of nitrite oxidation was higher than ammonia oxidation (31%-32% and 13% respectively), and high CO2 assimilation and free-energy efficiencies were a determinant for the dominance of Nitrospira over Nitrosomonas. Washout of Nitrospira and Nitrosomonas from the trickling biofilter reactors was also examined by quantitative PCR assay. Normalized copy numbers of Nitrosomonas amoA were 1.5- to 1.7-folds greater than Nitrospira nxrB and 16S rRNA gene in the reactor effluents. Nitrosomonas was more susceptible for washout than Nitrospira in the trickling biofilter reactors, which was another determinant for the dominance of Nitrospira in the trickling biofilter reactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoru Oshiki
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13, West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan.,Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka College, 888 Nishikatakaimachi, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-8532, Japan
| | - Hirotoshi Netsu
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka College, 888 Nishikatakaimachi, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-8532, Japan.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-2188, Japan
| | - Kyohei Kuroda
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-17-2-1 Tsukisamu-Higashi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 062-8517, Japan
| | - Takashi Narihiro
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-17-2-1 Tsukisamu-Higashi, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 062-8517, Japan
| | - Naoki Fujii
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8527, Japan
| | - Tomonori Kindaichi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima, 739-8527, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Suzuki
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka College, 888 Nishikatakaimachi, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-8532, Japan
| | - Takahiro Watari
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-2188, Japan
| | - Masashi Hatamoto
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-2188, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamaguchi
- Department of Science of Technology Innovation, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-2188, Japan
| | - Nobuo Araki
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka College, 888 Nishikatakaimachi, Nagaoka, Niigata, 940-8532, Japan
| | - Satoshi Okabe
- Division of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, North 13, West 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-8628, Japan
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20
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Taylor AE, Mellbye BL. Differential Responses of the Catalytic Efficiency of Ammonia and Nitrite Oxidation to Changes in Temperature. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:817986. [PMID: 35620102 PMCID: PMC9127996 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.817986] [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: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbially mediated nitrification plays an important role in the nitrogen (N) cycle, and rates of activity have been shown to change significantly with temperature. Despite this, the substrate affinities of nitrifying bacteria and archaea have not been comprehensively measured and are often assumed to be static in mathematical models of environmental systems. In this study, we measured the oxidation kinetics of ammonia- (NH3) oxidizing archaea (AOA), NH3-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and two distinct groups of nitrite (NO2 -)-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), of the genera Nitrobacter and Nitrospira, by measuring the maximum rates of apparent activity (V max(app)), the apparent half-saturation constant (K m(app)), and the overall catalytic efficiency (V max(app) /K m(app)) over a range of temperatures. Changes in V max(app) and K m(app) with temperature were different between groups, with V max(app) and catalytic efficiency increasing with temperature in AOA, while V max(app) , K m(app), and catalytic efficiency increased in AOB. In Nitrobacter NOB, V max(app) and K m(app) increased, but catalytic efficiency decreased significantly with temperature. Nitrospira NOB were variable, but V max(app) increased while catalytic efficiency and K m(app) remained relatively unchanged. Michaelis-Menten (MM) and Haldane (H) kinetic models of NH3 oxidation and NO2 - oxidation based on the collected data correctly predict nitrification potential in some soil incubation experiments, but not others. Despite previous observations of coupled nitrification in many natural systems, our results demonstrate significant differences in response to temperature strategies between the different groups of nitrifiers; and indicate the need to further investigate the response of nitrifiers to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E. Taylor
- Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Brett L. Mellbye
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
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21
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Al-Ajeel S, Spasov E, Sauder LA, McKnight MM, Neufeld JD. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea and complete ammonia-oxidizing Nitrospira in water treatment systems. WATER RESEARCH X 2022; 15:100131. [PMID: 35402889 PMCID: PMC8990171 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2022.100131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Nitrification, the oxidation of ammonia to nitrate via nitrite, is important for many engineered water treatment systems. The sequential steps of this respiratory process are carried out by distinct microbial guilds, including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and newly discovered members of the genus Nitrospira that conduct complete ammonia oxidation (comammox). Even though all of these nitrifiers have been identified within water treatment systems, their relative contributions to nitrogen cycling are poorly understood. Although AOA contribute to nitrification in many wastewater treatment plants, they are generally outnumbered by AOB. In contrast, AOA and comammox Nitrospira typically dominate relatively low ammonia environments such as drinking water treatment, tertiary wastewater treatment systems, and aquaculture/aquarium filtration. Studies that focus on the abundance of ammonia oxidizers may misconstrue the actual role that distinct nitrifying guilds play in a system. Understanding which ammonia oxidizers are active is useful for further optimization of engineered systems that rely on nitrifiers for ammonia removal. This review highlights known distributions of AOA and comammox Nitrospira in engineered water treatment systems and suggests future research directions that will help assess their contributions to nitrification and identify factors that influence their distributions and activity.
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22
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Palomo A, Dechesne A, Cordero OX, Smets BF. Evolutionary Ecology of Natural Comammox Nitrospira Populations. mSystems 2022; 7:e0113921. [PMID: 35014874 PMCID: PMC8751384 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01139-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbes commonly exist in diverse and complex communities where species interact, and their genomic repertoires evolve over time. Our understanding of species interaction and evolution has increased during the last decades, but most studies of evolutionary dynamics are based on single species in isolation or in experimental systems composed of few interacting species. Here, we use the microbial ecosystem found in groundwater-fed sand filter as a model to avoid this limitation. In these open systems, diverse microbial communities experience relatively stable conditions, and the coupling between chemical and biological processes is generally well defined. Metagenomic analysis of 12 sand filters communities revealed systematic co-occurrence of at least five comammox Nitrospira species, likely promoted by low ammonium concentrations. These Nitrospira species showed intrapopulation sequence diversity, although possible clonal expansion was detected in a few abundant local comammox populations. Nitrospira species showed low homologous recombination and strong purifying selection, the latter process being especially strong in genes essential in energy metabolism. Positive selection was detected for genes related to resistance to foreign DNA and phages. We found that, compared to other habitats, groundwater-fed sand filters impose strong purifying selection and low recombination on comammox Nitrospira populations. These results suggest that evolutionary processes are more affected by habitat type than by species identity. Together, this study improves our understanding of species interaction and evolution in complex microbial communities and sheds light on the environmental dependency of evolutionary processes. IMPORTANCE Microbial species interact with each other and their environment (ecological processes) and undergo changes in their genomic repertoire over time (evolutionary processes). How these two classes of processes interact is largely unknown, especially for complex communities, as most studies of microbial evolutionary dynamics consider single species in isolation or a few interacting species in simplified experimental systems. In this study, these limitations are circumvented by examining the microbial communities found in stable and well-described groundwater-fed sand filters. Combining metagenomics and strain-level analyses, we identified the microbial interactions and evolutionary processes affecting comammox Nitrospira, a recently discovered bacterial type capable of performing the whole nitrification process. We found that abundant and co-occurrent Nitrospira populations in groundwater-fed sand filters are characterized by low recombination and strong purifying selection. In addition, by comparing these observations with those obtained from Nitrospira species inhabiting other environments, we revealed that evolutionary processes are more affected by habitat type than by species identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Palomo
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Arnaud Dechesne
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Otto X. Cordero
- Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory for Environmental Science and Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Barth F. Smets
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Igai K, Kitade O, Fu J, Omata K, Yonezawa T, Ohkuma M, Hongoh Y. Fine-scale genetic diversity and putative ecotypes of oxymonad protists coinhabiting the hindgut of Reticulitermes speratus. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:1317-1331. [PMID: 34865251 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The hindgut of lower termites is generally coinhabited by multiple morphologically identifiable protist species. However, it is unclear how many protist species truly coexist in this miniaturized environment, and moreover, it is difficult to define the fundamental unit of protist diversity. Species delineation of termite gut protists has therefore been guided without a theory-based concept of species. Here, we focused on the hindgut of the termite Reticulitermes speratus, where 10 or 11 morphologically distinct oxymonad cell types, that is, morphospecies, coexist. We elucidated the phylogenetic structure of all co-occurring oxymonads and addressed whether their diversity can be explained by the "ecotype" hypothesis. Oxymonad-specific 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analyses of whole-gut samples, combined with single-cell 18S rRNA sequencing of the oxymonad morphospecies, identified 210 one-nucleotide-level variants. The phylogenetic analysis of these variants revealed the presence of microdiverse clusters typically within 1% sequence divergence. Each known oxymonad morphospecies comprised one to several monophyletic or paraphyletic microdiverse clusters. Using these sequence data sets, we conducted computational simulation to predict the rates of ecotype formation and periodic selection, and to demarcate putative ecotypes. Our simulations suggested that the oxymonad genetic divergence is constrained primarily by strong selection, in spite of limited population size and possible bottlenecks during intergenerational transmission. A total of 33 oxymonad ecotypes were predicted, and most of the putative ecotypes were consistently detected among different colonies and host individuals. These findings provide a possible theoretical basis for species diversity and underlying mechanisms of coexistence of termite gut protists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsura Igai
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Osamu Kitade
- College of Science, Ibaraki University, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Jieyang Fu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazumi Omata
- Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Hematology, Rheumatology and Infectious Disease, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yonezawa
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Moriya Ohkuma
- Microbe Division/Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yuichi Hongoh
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Microbe Division/Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Ibaraki, Japan
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24
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Wang Y, Ye J, Ju F, Liu L, Boyd JA, Deng Y, Parks DH, Jiang X, Yin X, Woodcroft BJ, Tyson GW, Hugenholtz P, Polz MF, Zhang T. Successional dynamics and alternative stable states in a saline activated sludge microbial community over 9 years. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:199. [PMID: 34615557 PMCID: PMC8495973 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01151-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial communities in both natural and applied settings reliably carry out myriads of functions, yet how stable these taxonomically diverse assemblages can be and what causes them to transition between states remains poorly understood. We studied monthly activated sludge (AS) samples collected over 9 years from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant to answer how complex AS communities evolve in the long term and how the community functions change when there is a disturbance in operational parameters. RESULTS Here, we show that a microbial community in activated sludge (AS) system fluctuated around a stable average for 3 years but was then abruptly pushed into an alternative stable state by a simple transient disturbance (bleaching). While the taxonomic composition rapidly turned into a new state following the disturbance, the metabolic profile of the community and system performance remained remarkably stable. A total of 920 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), representing approximately 70% of the community in the studied AS ecosystem, were recovered from the 97 monthly AS metagenomes. Comparative genomic analysis revealed an increased ability to aggregate in the cohorts of MAGs with correlated dynamics that are dominant after the bleaching event. Fine-scale analysis of dynamics also revealed cohorts that dominated during different periods and showed successional dynamics on seasonal and longer time scales due to temperature fluctuation and gradual changes in mean residence time in the reactor, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our work highlights that communities can assume different stable states under highly similar environmental conditions and that a specific disturbance threshold may lead to a rapid shift in community composition. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jun Ye
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Feng Ju
- School of Engineering, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, 310024 China
| | - Lei Liu
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joel A. Boyd
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Yu Deng
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Donovan H. Parks
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Xiaotao Jiang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaole Yin
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ben J. Woodcroft
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Gene W. Tyson
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Martin F. Polz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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25
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Investigating the Chemolithoautotrophic and Formate Metabolism of Nitrospira moscoviensis by Constraint-Based Metabolic Modeling and 13C-Tracer Analysis. mSystems 2021; 6:e0017321. [PMID: 34402644 PMCID: PMC8407350 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00173-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria belonging to the genus Nitrospira mediate a key step in nitrification and play important roles in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle and wastewater treatment. While these organisms have recently been shown to exhibit metabolic flexibility beyond their chemolithoautotrophic lifestyle, including the use of simple organic compounds to fuel their energy metabolism, the metabolic networks controlling their autotrophic and mixotrophic growth remain poorly understood. Here, we reconstructed a genome-scale metabolic model for Nitrospira moscoviensis (iNmo686) and used flux balance analysis to evaluate the metabolic networks controlling autotrophic and formatotrophic growth on nitrite and formate, respectively. Subsequently, proteomic analysis and [13C]bicarbonate and [13C]formate tracer experiments coupled to metabolomic analysis were performed to experimentally validate model predictions. Our findings corroborate that N. moscoviensis uses the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle for CO2 fixation, and we also show that N. moscoviensis can indirectly use formate as a carbon source by oxidizing it first to CO2 followed by reassimilation, rather than direct incorporation via the reductive glycine pathway. Our study offers the first measurements of Nitrospira’s in vivo central carbon metabolism and provides a quantitative tool that can be used for understanding and predicting their metabolic processes. IMPORTANCENitrospira spp. are globally abundant nitrifying bacteria in soil and aquatic ecosystems and in wastewater treatment plants, where they control the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate. Despite their critical contribution to nitrogen cycling across diverse environments, detailed understanding of their metabolic network and prediction of their function under different environmental conditions remains a major challenge. Here, we provide the first constraint-based metabolic model of Nitrospira moscoviensis representing the ubiquitous Nitrospira lineage II and subsequently validate this model using proteomics and 13C-tracers combined with intracellular metabolomic analysis. The resulting genome-scale model will serve as a knowledge base of Nitrospira metabolism and lays the foundation for quantitative systems biology studies of these globally important nitrite-oxidizing bacteria.
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26
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Bressani-Ribeiro T, Almeida PGS, Chernicharo CAL, Volcke EIP. Inorganic carbon limitation during nitrogen conversions in sponge-bed trickling filters for mainstream treatment of anaerobic effluent. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 201:117337. [PMID: 34167012 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic sewage treatment is a proven technology in warm climate regions, and sponge-bed trickling filters (SBTFs) are an important post-treatment technology to remove residual organic carbon and nitrogen. Even though SBTFs can achieve a reasonably good effluent quality, further process optimization is hampered by a lack of mechanistic understanding of the factors influencing nitrogen removal, notably when it comes to mainstream anaerobically treated sewage. In this study, the factors that control the performance of SBTFs following anaerobic (i.e., UASB) reactors for sewage treatment were investigated. A demo-scale SBTF fed with anaerobically pre-treated sewage was monitored for 300 days, showing a median nitrification efficiency of 79% and a median total nitrogen removal efficiency of 26%. Heterotrophic denitrification was limited by the low organic carbon content of the anaerobic effluent. It was demonstrated that nitrification was impaired by a lack of inorganic carbon rather than by alkalinity limitation. To properly describe inorganic carbon limitation in models, bicarbonate was added as a state variable and sigmoidal kinetics were applied. The resulting model was able to capture the overall long-term experimental behaviour. There was no nitrite accumulation, which indicated that nitrite oxidizing bacteria were little or less affected by the inorganic carbon limitation. Overall, this study indicated the vital role of influent characteristics and operating conditions concerning nitrogen conversions in SBTFs treating anaerobic effluent, thus facilitating further process optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Bressani-Ribeiro
- BioCo Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, Gent 9000, Belgium; Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte/MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - P G S Almeida
- Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, Juiz de Fora - MG, 36036-900, Brazil
| | - C A L Chernicharo
- Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte/MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - E I P Volcke
- BioCo Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, Gent 9000, Belgium.
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27
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Activity-Based Cell Sorting Reveals Resistance of Functionally Degenerate Nitrospira during a Press Disturbance in Nitrifying Activated Sludge. mSystems 2021; 6:e0071221. [PMID: 34282936 PMCID: PMC8407113 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00712-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Managing and engineering activated sludge wastewater treatment microbiomes for low-energy nitrogen removal requires process control strategies to stop the oxidation of ammonium at nitrite. Our ability to out-select nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) from activated sludge is challenged by their metabolic and physiological diversity, warranting measurements of their in situ physiology and activity under selective growth pressures. Here, we examined the stability of nitrite oxidation in activated sludge during a press disturbance induced by treating a portion of return activated sludge with a sidestream flow containing free ammonia (FA) at 200 mg NH3-N/liter. The nitrite accumulation ratio peaked at 42% by day 40 in the experimental bioreactor with the press disturbance, while it did not increase in the control bioreactor. A subsequent decrease in nitrite accumulation within the experimental bioreactor coincided with shifts in dominant Nitrospira 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). We applied bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) coupled with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to investigate changes in the translational activity of NOB populations throughout batch exposure to FA. BONCAT-FACS confirmed that the single Nitrospira ASV washed out of the experimental bioreactor had reduced translational activity following exposure to FA, whereas the two Nitrospira ASVs that emerged after process acclimation were not impacted by FA. Thus, the coexistence of functionally degenerate and physiologically resistant Nitrospira populations provided resilience to the nitrite-oxidizing function during the press disturbance. These results highlight how BONCAT-FACS can resolve ecological niche differentiation within activated sludge and inform strategies to engineer and control microbiome function. IMPORTANCE Nitrogen removal from activated sludge wastewater treatment systems is an energy-intensive process due to the large aeration requirement for nitrification. This energy footprint could be minimized with engineering control strategies that wash out nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) to limit oxygen demands. However, NOB populations can have a high degree of physiological diversity, and it is currently difficult to decipher the behavior of individual taxa during applied selective pressures. Here, we utilized a new substrate analog probing approach to measure the activity of NOB at the cellular translational level in the face of a press disturbance applied to the activated sludge process. Substrate analog probing corroborated the time series reactor sampling, showing that coexisting and functionally degenerate Nitrospira populations provided resilience to the nitrite oxidation process. Taken together, these results highlight how substrate analog approaches can illuminate in situ ecophysiologies within shared niches, and can inform strategies to improve microbiome engineering and management.
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28
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Metabolic Differentiation of Co-occurring Accumulibacter Clades Revealed through Genome-Resolved Metatranscriptomics. mSystems 2021; 6:e0047421. [PMID: 34227830 PMCID: PMC8407102 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00474-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural microbial communities consist of closely related taxa that may exhibit phenotypic differences and inhabit distinct niches. However, connecting genetic diversity to ecological properties remains a challenge in microbial ecology due to the lack of pure cultures across the microbial tree of life. "Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" (Accumulibacter) is a polyphosphate-accumulating organism that contributes to the enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) biotechnological process for removing excess phosphorus from wastewater and preventing eutrophication from downstream receiving waters. Distinct Accumulibacter clades often coexist in full-scale wastewater treatment plants and laboratory-scale enrichment bioreactors and have been hypothesized to inhabit distinct ecological niches. However, since individual strains of the Accumulibacter lineage have not been isolated in pure culture to date, these predictions have been made solely on genome-based comparisons and enrichments with varying strain compositions. Here, we used genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to explore the activity of coexisting Accumulibacter strains in an engineered bioreactor environment. We obtained four high-quality genomes of Accumulibacter strains that were present in the bioreactor ecosystem, one of which is a completely contiguous draft genome scaffolded with long Nanopore reads. We identified core and accessory genes to investigate how gene expression patterns differed among the dominating strains. Using this approach, we were able to identify putative pathways and functions that may confer distinct functions to Accumulibacter strains and provide key functional insights into this biotechnologically significant microbial lineage. IMPORTANCE "Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis" is a model polyphosphate-accumulating organism that has been studied using genome-resolved metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metaproteomics to understand the EBPR process. Within the Accumulibacter lineage, several similar but diverging clades are defined by the shared sequence identity of the polyphosphate kinase (ppk1) locus. These clades are predicted to have key functional differences in acetate uptake rates, phage defense mechanisms, and nitrogen-cycling capabilities. However, such hypotheses have largely been made based on gene content comparisons of sequenced Accumulibacter genomes, some of which were obtained from different systems. Here, we performed time series genome-resolved metatranscriptomics to explore gene expression patterns of coexisting Accumulibacter clades in the same bioreactor ecosystem. Our work provides an approach for elucidating ecologically relevant functions based on gene expression patterns between closely related microbial populations.
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29
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Jia X, Gao Y, Li X, Zhao Y, Wang L, Zhang C. Effects of cadmium on soil nitrification in the rhizosphere of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seedlings under elevated atmospheric CO 2 scenarios. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 772:145023. [PMID: 33581544 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The individual impacts of elevated CO2 and heavy metals on soil nitrification have been widely reported. However, studies on the combined effects of elevated CO2 and heavy metals on soil nitrification are still limited. Here, a 135-day growth chamber experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of elevated CO2 and cadmium (Cd) levels on soil nitrification in the rhizosphere of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seedlings. Elevated CO2 combined with Cd pollution generally stimulated ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), hydroxylamine oxidase (HAO), and nitrite oxidoreductase (NXR) activities. Compared to the control, the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) at day 135 and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) increased significantly (p < 0.05) and the abundance of AOB at days 45 and 90 and that of the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) decreased under elevated CO2 + Cd. Elevated CO2 mostly led to a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in soil nitrification intensity in the rhizosphere of R. pseudoacacia exposed to Cd. The effects of Cd, CO2, and their interaction on HAO and NXR activities were significant (p < 0.01). Soil pH, the C/N ratio, water-soluble organic carbon, water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON), and total carbon were the dominant factors (p < 0.05) affecting nitrifying enzyme activities and nitrification intensity in rhizosphere soils. Elevated CO2 clearly affected AOA, AOB, and NOB community structures and dominant genera by shaping C/N ratio, pH, and Cd and WSON contents in rhizosphere soils under Cd exposure. Overall, the responses of pH, C/N ratio, WSON, and Cd to elevated CO2 led to changes in rhizosphere soil nitrification under the combination of elevated CO2 and Cd pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Jia
- Key laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering, the Ministry of Land and Resources, Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, PR China.
| | - Yunfeng Gao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, School of Land Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, PR China
| | - Xiaodi Li
- Key laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering, the Ministry of Land and Resources, Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, PR China
| | - Yonghua Zhao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, School of Land Engineering, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, PR China
| | - Lu Wang
- Key laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering, the Ministry of Land and Resources, Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, PR China
| | - Chunyan Zhang
- Key laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering, the Ministry of Land and Resources, Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effects in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation, School of Water and Environment, Chang'an University, Xi'an 710054, PR China
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30
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Afonso AC, Gomes IB, Saavedra MJ, Giaouris E, Simões LC, Simões M. Bacterial coaggregation in aquatic systems. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 196:117037. [PMID: 33751976 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The establishment of a sessile community is believed to occur in a sequence of steps where genetically distinct bacteria can become attached to partner cells via specific molecules, in a process known as coaggregation. The presence of bacteria with the ability to autoaggregate and coaggregate has been described for diverse aquatic systems, particularly freshwater, drinking water, wastewater, and marine water. In these aquatic systems, coaggregation already demonstrated a role in the development of complex multispecies sessile communities, including biofilms. While specific molecular aspects on coaggregation in aquatic systems remain to be understood, clear evidence exist on the impact of this mechanism in multispecies biofilm resilience and homeostasis. The identification of bridging bacteria among coaggregating consortia has potential to improve the performance of wastewater treatment plants and/or to contribute for the development of strategies to control undesirable biofilms. This study provides a comprehensive analysis on the occurrence and role of bacterial coaggregation in diverse aquatic systems. The potential of this mechanism in water-related biotechnology is further described, with particular emphasis on the role of bridging bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Afonso
- LEPABE, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês B Gomes
- LEPABE, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria José Saavedra
- CITAB, Centre for the Research and Technology for Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Efstathios Giaouris
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, Ierou Lochou 10 & Makrygianni, Myrina 81400, Lemnos, Greece
| | - Lúcia C Simões
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
| | - Manuel Simões
- LEPABE, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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31
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Pascoal F, Costa R, Magalhães C. The microbial rare biosphere: current concepts, methods and ecological principles. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:5974270. [PMID: 33175111 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Our ability to describe the highly diverse pool of low abundance populations present in natural microbial communities is increasing at an unprecedented pace. Yet we currently lack an integrative view of the key taxa, functions and metabolic activity which make-up this communal pool, usually referred to as the 'rare biosphere', across the domains of life. In this context, this review examines the microbial rare biosphere in its broader sense, providing an historical perspective on representative studies which enabled to bridge the concept from macroecology to microbial ecology. It then addresses our current knowledge of the prokaryotic rare biosphere, and covers emerging insights into the ecology, taxonomy and evolution of low abundance microeukaryotic, viral and host-associated communities. We also review recent methodological advances and provide a synthetic overview on how the rare biosphere fits into different conceptual models used to explain microbial community assembly mechanisms, composition and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Pascoal
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixoes, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Costa
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.,U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, 1 Cyclotron Road, CA 94720, USA.,Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, CA 94720 Berkeley, USA
| | - Catarina Magalhães
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixoes, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.,Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.,School of Science, University of Waikato, Gate 1, Knighton Road 3240, Hamilton, New Zealand.,Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University, Steele Ocean Sciences Building, Dalhousie University 1355 Oxford St., B3H4R2 Halifax, NS, Canada
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32
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Bayer B, Saito MA, McIlvin MR, Lücker S, Moran DM, Lankiewicz TS, Dupont CL, Santoro AE. Metabolic versatility of the nitrite-oxidizing bacterium Nitrospira marina and its proteomic response to oxygen-limited conditions. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:1025-1039. [PMID: 33230266 PMCID: PMC8115632 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00828-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The genus Nitrospira is the most widespread group of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria and thrives in diverse natural and engineered ecosystems. Nitrospira marina Nb-295T was isolated from the ocean over 30 years ago; however, its genome has not yet been analyzed. Here, we investigated the metabolic potential of N. marina based on its complete genome sequence and performed physiological experiments to test genome-derived hypotheses. Our data confirm that N. marina benefits from additions of undefined organic carbon substrates, has adaptations to resist oxidative, osmotic, and UV light-induced stress and low dissolved pCO2, and requires exogenous vitamin B12. In addition, N. marina is able to grow chemoorganotrophically on formate, and is thus not an obligate chemolithoautotroph. We further investigated the proteomic response of N. marina to low (∼5.6 µM) O2 concentrations. The abundance of a potentially more efficient CO2-fixing pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (POR) complex and a high-affinity cbb3-type terminal oxidase increased under O2 limitation, suggesting a role in sustaining nitrite oxidation-driven autotrophy. This putatively more O2-sensitive POR complex might be protected from oxidative damage by Cu/Zn-binding superoxide dismutase, which also increased in abundance under low O2 conditions. Furthermore, the upregulation of proteins involved in alternative energy metabolisms, including Group 3b [NiFe] hydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase, indicate a high metabolic versatility to survive conditions unfavorable for aerobic nitrite oxidation. In summary, the genome and proteome of the first marine Nitrospira isolate identifies adaptations to life in the oxic ocean and provides insights into the metabolic diversity and niche differentiation of NOB in marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Bayer
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA USA
| | - Mak A. Saito
- grid.56466.370000 0004 0504 7510Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Matthew R. McIlvin
- grid.56466.370000 0004 0504 7510Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Sebastian Lücker
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dawn M. Moran
- grid.56466.370000 0004 0504 7510Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Thomas S. Lankiewicz
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA USA
| | | | - Alyson E. Santoro
- grid.133342.40000 0004 1936 9676Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA USA
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Sakoula D, Koch H, Frank J, Jetten MSM, van Kessel MAHJ, Lücker S. Enrichment and physiological characterization of a novel comammox Nitrospira indicates ammonium inhibition of complete nitrification. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:1010-1024. [PMID: 33188298 PMCID: PMC8115096 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00827-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The recent discovery of bacteria within the genus Nitrospira capable of complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) demonstrated that the sequential oxidation of ammonia to nitrate via nitrite can also be performed within a single bacterial cell. Although comammox Nitrospira exhibit a wide distribution in natural and engineered ecosystems, information on their physiological properties is scarce due to the limited number of cultured representatives. Additionally, most available genomic information is derived from metagenomic sequencing and high-quality genomes of Nitrospira in general are limited. In this study, we obtained a high (90%) enrichment of a novel comammox species, tentatively named "Candidatus Nitrospira kreftii", and performed a detailed genomic and physiological characterization. The complete genome of "Ca. N. kreftii" allowed reconstruction of its basic metabolic traits. Similar to Nitrospira inopinata, the enrichment culture exhibited a very high ammonia affinity (Km(app)_NH3 ≈ 0.040 ± 0.01 µM), but a higher nitrite affinity (Km(app)_NO2- = 12.5 ± 4.0 µM), indicating an adaptation to highly oligotrophic environments. Furthermore, we observed partial inhibition of ammonia oxidation at ammonium concentrations as low as 25 µM. This inhibition of "Ca. N. kreftii" indicates that differences in ammonium tolerance rather than affinity could potentially be a niche determining factor for different comammox Nitrospira.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Sakoula
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands ,grid.10420.370000 0001 2286 1424Present Address: Division of Microbial Ecology, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Hanna Koch
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Frank
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands ,grid.5590.90000000122931605Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mike S. M. Jetten
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands ,grid.5590.90000000122931605Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Maartje A. H. J. van Kessel
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Lücker
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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Primer evaluation and development of a droplet digital PCR protocol targeting amoA genes for the quantification of Comammox in lakes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2982. [PMID: 33536606 PMCID: PMC7858572 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82613-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, little is known about the ecological significance of Comammox (COMplete AMMonia OXidizers) Nitrospira in the water column of freshwater lakes. Water samples collected along depth profiles were used to investigate the distribution of Comammox in 13 lakes characterized by a wide range of physicochemical properties. Several published primers, which target the α-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase, generated non-specific PCR products or did not amplify target genes from lake water and other habitats. Therefore, a new primer set has been designed for specific detection of Comammox in lakes. The high specificity of the PCR assay was confirmed by sequencing analysis. Quantification of Comammox amoA genes in lake water samples based on droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) revealed very low abundances (not exceeding 85 amoA copies ml-1), which suggest that Comammox is of minor importance for the nitrification process in the water column of the study sites. Surprisingly, samples taken from the sediment/water-interface along an oxygen gradient in dimictic Piburger See showed Comammox abundances three to four magnitudes higher than in the pelagic realm of the lake, which indicates a preference of Comammox to a particle-attached lifestyle.
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35
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Kutilova I, Medvecky M, Leekitcharoenphon P, Munk P, Masarikova M, Davidova-Gerzova L, Jamborova I, Bortolaia V, Pamp SJ, Dolejska M. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and antimicrobial resistance in municipal and hospital wastewaters in Czech Republic: Culture-based and metagenomic approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 193:110487. [PMID: 33232750 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wastewaters serve as important hot spots for antimicrobial resistance and monitoring can be used to analyse the abundance and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes at the level of large bacterial and human populations. In this study, whole genome sequencing of beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and metagenomic analysis of whole-community DNA were used to characterize the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in hospital, municipal and river waters in the city of Brno (Czech Republic). Cefotaxime-resistant E. coli were mainly extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers (95.6%, n = 158), of which the majority carried blaCTX-M (98.7%; n = 151) and were detected in all water samples except the outflow from hospital wastewater treatment plant. A wide phylogenetic diversity was observed among the sequenced E. coli (n = 78) based on the detection of 40 sequence types and single nucleotide polymorphisms (average number 34,666 ± 15,710) between strains. The metagenomic analysis revealed a high occurrence of bacterial genera with potentially pathogenic members, including Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Aeromonas, Enterobacter and Arcobacter (relative abundance >50%) in untreated hospital and municipal wastewaters and predominance of environmental bacteria in treated and river waters. Genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, quinolones and macrolides were frequently detected, however blaCTX-M was not found in this dataset which may be affected by insufficient sequencing depth of the samples. The study pointed out municipal treated wastewater as a possible source of multi-drug resistant E. coli and antimicrobial resistance genes for surface waters. Moreover, the combination of two different approaches provided a more holistic view on antimicrobial resistance in water environments. The culture-based approach facilitated insight into the dynamics of ESBL-producing E. coli and the metagenomics shows abundance and diversity of bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes vary across water sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Kutilova
- CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Medvecky
- CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, alej Svobody 1655/76, 323 00, Plzen, Czech Republic
| | - Pimlapas Leekitcharoenphon
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Patrick Munk
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Martina Masarikova
- CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Davidova-Gerzova
- CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Jamborova
- CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Valeria Bortolaia
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Sünje J Pamp
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Monika Dolejska
- CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic; Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, alej Svobody 1655/76, 323 00, Plzen, Czech Republic.
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36
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Fujitani H, Nomachi M, Takahashi Y, Hasebe Y, Eguchi M, Tsuneda S. Successful enrichment of low-abundant comammox Nitrospira from nitrifying granules under ammonia-limited conditions. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2021; 367:5731803. [PMID: 32037440 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In artificial engineered systems, nitrification is a key reaction that accounts for the removal of biological nitrogen. Recently, a single microbe capable of oxidizing ammonia to nitrate, known as a complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox), has been discovered. Although the abundance and diversity of comammox Nitrospira in engineered systems have been identified through molecular-based approaches, the enrichment and isolation of comammox Nitrospira remains a challenge. Therefore, the aim of this study was to enrich comammox Nitrospira from nitrifying granules, which were used to increase the efficiency of biological nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment plants. We sought to accomplish this through the use of a fixed-bed continuous feeding bioreactor. Fluorescence in situ hybridization, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and qPCR of functional genes were utilized to monitor the growth of nitrifiers including comammox Nitrospira. Cloning of comammox amoA genes identified amoA phylogeny of enriched comammox Nitrospira. This work is an example demonstrating that continuous supply of low ammonium concentrations alongside biomass carriers is effective in cultivating comammox Nitrospira from engineered systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotsugu Fujitani
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Central 6, Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8566, Japan.,Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Manami Nomachi
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yu Takahashi
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Hasebe
- Organo Corp. R&D Center, Nishioonuma 4-4-1, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, 252-0332, Japan
| | - Masahiro Eguchi
- Organo Corp. R&D Center, Nishioonuma 4-4-1, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, 252-0332, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tsuneda
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan.,Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
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37
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Vijayan A, Vattiringal Jayadradhan RK, Pillai D, Prasannan Geetha P, Joseph V, Isaac Sarojini BS. Nitrospira as versatile nitrifiers: Taxonomy, ecophysiology, genome characteristics, growth, and metabolic diversity. J Basic Microbiol 2021; 61:88-109. [PMID: 33448079 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202000485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The global nitrogen cycle is of paramount significance as it affects important processes like primary productivity and decomposition. Nitrification, the oxidation of ammonia to nitrate via nitrite, is a key process in the nitrogen cycle. The knowledge about nitrification has been challenged during the last few decades with inventions like anaerobic ammonia oxidation, ammonia-oxidizing archaea, and recently the complete ammonia oxidation (comammox). The discovery of comammox Nitrospira has made a paradigm shift in nitrification, before which it was considered as a two-step process, mediated by chemolithoautotrophic ammonia oxidizers and nitrite oxidizers. The genome of comammox Nitrospira equipped with molecular machineries for both ammonia and nitrite oxidation. The genus Nitrospira is ubiquitous, comes under phylum Nitrospirae, which comprises six sublineages consisting of canonical nitrite oxidizers and comammox. The single-step nitrification is energetically more feasible; furthermore, the existence of diverse metabolic pathways in Nitrospira is critical for its establishment in various habitats. The present review discusses the taxonomy, ecophysiology, isolation, identification, growth, and metabolic diversity of the genus Nitrospira; compares the genomes of canonical nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira and comammox Nitrospira, and analyses the differences of Nitrospira with other nitrifying bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ardhra Vijayan
- Department of Aquatic Animal Health Management, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Rejish Kumar Vattiringal Jayadradhan
- Department of Aquatic Animal Health Management, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala, India.,Department of Aquaculture, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Devika Pillai
- Department of Aquatic Animal Health Management, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Preena Prasannan Geetha
- National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Valsamma Joseph
- National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala, India
| | - Bright Singh Isaac Sarojini
- National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala, India
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38
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Séneca J, Pjevac P, Canarini A, Herbold CW, Zioutis C, Dietrich M, Simon E, Prommer J, Bahn M, Pötsch EM, Wagner M, Wanek W, Richter A. Composition and activity of nitrifier communities in soil are unresponsive to elevated temperature and CO 2, but strongly affected by drought. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:3038-3053. [PMID: 32770119 PMCID: PMC7784676 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00735-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Nitrification is a fundamental process in terrestrial nitrogen cycling. However, detailed information on how climate change affects the structure of nitrifier communities is lacking, specifically from experiments in which multiple climate change factors are manipulated simultaneously. Consequently, our ability to predict how soil nitrogen (N) cycling will change in a future climate is limited. We conducted a field experiment in a managed grassland and simultaneously tested the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2, temperature, and drought on the abundance of active ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), comammox (CMX) Nitrospira, and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and on gross mineralization and nitrification rates. We found that N transformation processes, as well as gene and transcript abundances, and nitrifier community composition were remarkably resistant to individual and interactive effects of elevated CO2 and temperature. During drought however, process rates were increased or at least maintained. At the same time, the abundance of active AOB increased probably due to higher NH4+ availability. Both, AOA and comammox Nitrospira decreased in response to drought and the active community composition of AOA and NOB was also significantly affected. In summary, our findings suggest that warming and elevated CO2 have only minor effects on nitrifier communities and soil biogeochemical variables in managed grasslands, whereas drought favors AOB and increases nitrification rates. This highlights the overriding importance of drought as a global change driver impacting on soil microbial community structure and its consequences for N cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Séneca
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Pjevac
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alberto Canarini
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Craig W Herbold
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christos Zioutis
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marlies Dietrich
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Simon
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Judith Prommer
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Bahn
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Erich M Pötsch
- Agricultural Research and Education Centre Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Altirdning 11, 8952, Irdning, Austria
| | - Michael Wagner
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Wolfgang Wanek
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Richter
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
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39
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Daebeler A, Kitzinger K, Koch H, Herbold CW, Steinfeder M, Schwarz J, Zechmeister T, Karst SM, Albertsen M, Nielsen PH, Wagner M, Daims H. Exploring the upper pH limits of nitrite oxidation: diversity, ecophysiology, and adaptive traits of haloalkalitolerant Nitrospira. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:2967-2979. [PMID: 32709974 PMCID: PMC7784846 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0724-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria of the genus Nitrospira are key players of the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. However, little is known about their occurrence and survival strategies in extreme pH environments. Here, we report on the discovery of physiologically versatile, haloalkalitolerant Nitrospira that drive nitrite oxidation at exceptionally high pH. Nitrospira distribution, diversity, and ecophysiology were studied in hypo- and subsaline (1.3-12.8 g salt/l), highly alkaline (pH 8.9-10.3) lakes by amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and cultivation-based approaches. Surprisingly, not only were Nitrospira populations detected, but they were also considerably diverse with presence of members from Nitrospira lineages I, II and IV. Furthermore, the ability of Nitrospira enrichment cultures to oxidize nitrite at neutral to highly alkaline pH of 10.5 was demonstrated. Metagenomic analysis of a newly enriched Nitrospira lineage IV species, "Candidatus Nitrospira alkalitolerans", revealed numerous adaptive features of this organism to its extreme environment. Among them were a sodium-dependent N-type ATPase and NADH:quinone oxidoreductase next to the proton-driven forms usually found in Nitrospira. Other functions aid in pH and cation homeostasis and osmotic stress defense. "Ca. Nitrospira alkalitolerans" also possesses group 2a and 3b [NiFe] hydrogenases, suggesting it can use hydrogen as alternative energy source. These results reveal how Nitrospira cope with strongly fluctuating pH and salinity conditions and expand our knowledge of nitrogen cycling in extreme habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Daebeler
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Katharina Kitzinger
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Department of Biogeochemistry, Bremen, Germany
| | - Hanna Koch
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Microbiology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Craig W Herbold
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Steinfeder
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jasmin Schwarz
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Søren M Karst
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Mads Albertsen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Per H Nielsen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Michael Wagner
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- University of Vienna, The Comammox Research Platform, Vienna, Austria
| | - Holger Daims
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria.
- University of Vienna, The Comammox Research Platform, Vienna, Austria.
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40
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Lukumbuzya M, Kristensen JM, Kitzinger K, Pommerening-Röser A, Nielsen PH, Wagner M, Daims H, Pjevac P. A refined set of rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for in situ detection and quantification of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 186:116372. [PMID: 32916620 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) of the betaproteobacterial genera Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira are key nitrifying microorganisms in many natural and engineered ecosystems. Since many AOB remain uncultured, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes has been one of the most widely used approaches to study the community composition, abundance, and other features of AOB directly in environmental samples. However, the established and widely used AOB-specific 16S rRNA-targeted FISH probes were designed up to two decades ago, based on much smaller rRNA gene sequence datasets than available today. Several of these probes cover their target AOB lineages incompletely and suffer from a weak target specificity, which causes cross-hybridization of probes that should detect different AOB lineages. Here, a set of new highly specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes was developed and experimentally evaluated that complements the existing probes and enables the specific detection and differentiation of the known, major phylogenetic clusters of betaproteobacterial AOB. The new probes were successfully applied to visualize and quantify AOB in activated sludge and biofilm samples from seven pilot- and full-scale wastewater treatment systems. Based on its improved target group coverage and specificity, the refined probe set will facilitate future in situ analyses of AOB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lukumbuzya
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jannie Munk Kristensen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Katharina Kitzinger
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas Pommerening-Röser
- University of Hamburg, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Per Halkjær Nielsen
- Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Michael Wagner
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; Center for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; University of Vienna, The Comammox Research Platform, Vienna, Austria
| | - Holger Daims
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; University of Vienna, The Comammox Research Platform, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Petra Pjevac
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria; Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Jiang R, Wang JG, Zhu T, Zou B, Wang DQ, Rhee SK, An D, Ji ZY, Quan ZX. Use of Newly Designed Primers for Quantification of Complete Ammonia-Oxidizing (Comammox) Bacterial Clades and Strict Nitrite Oxidizers in the Genus Nitrospira. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:e01775-20. [PMID: 32826214 PMCID: PMC7531962 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01775-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Complete ammonia-oxidizing (comammox) bacteria play key roles in environmental nitrogen cycling and all belong to the genus Nitrospira, which was originally believed to include only strict nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (sNOB). Thus, differential estimation of sNOB abundance from that of comammox Nitrospira has become problematic, since both contain nitrite oxidoreductase genes that serve as common targets for sNOB detection. Herein, we developed novel comammox Nitrospira clade A- and B-specific primer sets targeting the α-subunit of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) and a sNOB-specific primer set targeting the cyanase gene (cynS) for quantitative PCR (qPCR). The high coverage and specificity of these primers were checked by use of metagenome and metatranscriptome data sets. Efficient and specific amplification with these primers was demonstrated using various environmental samples. Using the newly designed primers, we successfully estimated the abundances of comammox Nitrospira and sNOB in samples from two chloramination-treated drinking water systems and found that, in most samples, comammox Nitrospira clade A was the dominant type of Nitrospira and also served as the primary ammonia oxidizer. Compared with other ammonia oxidizers, comammox Nitrospira had a higher abundance in process water samples in these two drinking water systems. We also demonstrated that sNOB can be readily misrepresented by an earlier method, calculated by subtracting the comammox Nitrospira abundance from the total Nitrospira abundance, especially when the comammox Nitrospira proportion is relatively high. The new primer sets were successfully applied to comammox Nitrospira and sNOB quantification, which may prove useful in understanding the roles of Nitrospira in nitrification in various ecosystems.IMPORTANCENitrospira is a dominant nitrite-oxidizing bacterium in many artificial and natural environments. The discovery of complete ammonia oxidizers in the genus Nitrospira prevents the use of previously identified primers targeting the Nitrospira 16S rRNA gene or nitrite oxidoreductase (nxr) gene for differential determination of strict nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (sNOB) in the genus Nitrospira and among comammox bacteria in this genus. We designed three novel primer sets that enabled quantification of comammox Nitrospira clades A and B and sNOB with high coverage, specificity, and accuracy in various environments. With the designed primer sets, sNOB and comammox Nitrospira were differentially estimated in drinking water systems, and we found that comammox clade A predominated over sNOB and other ammonia oxidizers in process water samples. Accurate quantification of comammox Nitrospira and sNOB by use of the newly designed primers will provide essential information for evaluating the contribution of Nitrospira to nitrification in various ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Jiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Gong Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Zhu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Zou
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan-Qi Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sung-Keun Rhee
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong An
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Yuan Ji
- Hangzhou Water Holding Group Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhe-Xue Quan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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42
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The community compositions of three nitrogen removal wastewater treatment plants of different configurations in Victoria, Australia, over a 12-month operational period. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:9839-9852. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10901-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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43
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Fujitani H, Momiuchi K, Ishii K, Nomachi M, Kikuchi S, Ushiki N, Sekiguchi Y, Tsuneda S. Genomic and Physiological Characteristics of a Novel Nitrite-Oxidizing Nitrospira Strain Isolated From a Drinking Water Treatment Plant. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:545190. [PMID: 33042056 PMCID: PMC7522533 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.545190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) catalyze the second step of nitrification, which is an important process of the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle and is exploited extensively as a biological nitrogen removal process. Members of the genus Nitrospira are often identified as the dominant NOB in a diverse range of natural and artificial environments. Additionally, a number of studies examining the distribution, abundance, and characterization of complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) Nitrospira support the ecological importance of the genus Nitrospira. However, niche differentiation between nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira and comammox Nitrospira remains unknown due to a lack of pure cultures. In this study, we report the isolation, physiology, and genome of a novel nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira strain isolated from a fixed-bed column at a drinking water treatment plant. Continuous feeding of ammonia led to the enrichment of Nitrospira-like cells, as well as members of ammonia-oxidizing genus Nitrosomonas. Subsequently, a microcolony sorting technique was used to isolate a novel nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira strain. Sequences of strains showing the growth of microcolonies in microtiter plates were checked. Consequently, the most abundant operational taxonomic unit (OTU) exhibited high sequence similarity with Nitrospira japonica (98%) at the 16S rRNA gene level. The two other Nitrospira OTUs shared over 99% sequence similarities with N. japonica and Nitrospira sp. strain GC86. Only one strain identified as Nitrospira was successfully subcultivated and designated as Nitrospira sp. strain KM1 with high sequence similarity with N. japonica (98%). The half saturation constant for nitrite and the maximum nitrite oxidation rate of strain KM1 were orders of magnitude lower than the published data of other known Nitrospira strains; moreover, strain KM1 was more sensitive to free ammonia compared with previously isolated Nitrospira strains. Therefore, the new Nitrospira strain appears to be better adapted to oligotrophic environments compared with other known non-marine nitrite oxidizers. The complete genome of strain KM1 was 4,509,223 bp in length and contained 4,318 predicted coding sequences. Average nucleotide identities between strain KM1 and known cultured Nitrospira genome sequences are 76.7-78.4%, suggesting at least species-level novelty of the strain in the Nitrospira lineage II. These findings broaden knowledge of the ecophysiological diversity of nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotsugu Fujitani
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan.,Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kengo Momiuchi
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kento Ishii
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manami Nomachi
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuta Kikuchi
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norisuke Ushiki
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Sekiguchi
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tsuneda
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Takahashi Y, Fujitani H, Hirono Y, Tago K, Wang Y, Hayatsu M, Tsuneda S. Enrichment of Comammox and Nitrite-Oxidizing Nitrospira From Acidic Soils. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1737. [PMID: 32849373 PMCID: PMC7396549 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In agricultural soils fertilized with a high amount of ammonium nitrogen, the pH decreases because of the oxidation of ammonia by nitrifiers. Molecular-based analyses have revealed that members of the genus Nitrospira dominate over other nitrifiers in some acidic soils. However, terrestrial Nitrospira are rarely cultivated and little is known about their ecophysiology. In addition, recent studies discovered a single microbe with the potential to oxidize both ammonia and nitrite (complete ammonia oxidizer; comammox) within Nitrospira, which had been previously recognized as a nitrite oxidizer. Despite their broad distribution, there are no enrichment samples of comammox from terrestrial or acidic environments. Here, we report the selective enrichment of both comammox and nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira from the acidic soil of a heavily fertilized tea field. Long-term enrichment was performed with two individual continuous-feeding bioreactors capable of controlling ammonia or nitrite concentration and pH. We found that excessive ammonium supply was a key factor to enhance the growth of comammox Nitrospira under acidic conditions. Additionally, a low concentration of nitrite was fed to prevent the accumulation of free nitrous acid and inhibition of cell growth under low pH, resulting in the selective enrichment of nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, Nitrospira accounting for only 1.2% in an initial soil increased to approximately 80% of the total microorganisms in both ammonia- and nitrite-fed bioreactors. Furthermore, amoA amplicon sequencing revealed that two phylotypes belonging to comammox clade A were enriched in an ammonia-fed bioreactor. One group was closely related to previously cultivated strains, and the other was classified into a different cluster consisting of only uncultivated representatives. These two groups coexisted in the bioreactor controlled at pH 6.0, but the latter became dominant after the pH decreased to 5.5. Additionally, a physiological experiment revealed that the enrichment sample oxidizes ammonia at pH <4, which is in accordance with the strongly acidic tea field soil; this value is lower than the active pH range of isolated acid-adapted nitrifiers. In conclusion, we successfully enriched multiple phylotypes of comammox and nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospira and revealed that the pH and concentrations of protonated N-compounds were potential niche determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Takahashi
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotsugu Fujitani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuhei Hirono
- Institute of Fruit Tree and Tea Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Shimada, Japan
| | - Kanako Tago
- Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yong Wang
- Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masahito Hayatsu
- Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tsuneda
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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45
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Wang S, Liu C, Wang X, Yuan D, Zhu G. Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in traditional municipal wastewater treatment plants in China: Widespread but low contribution. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 179:115877. [PMID: 32402861 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent reports on the occurrence and contribution of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in marine, inland water, and soil systems have greatly improved our understanding of the global nitrogen (N) cycle. This also promoted the investigation of the role and ecological features of DNRA in anthropogenic ecosystems. However, so far, the use of DNRA in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which are one of the most common and largest biotechnologically artificial water ecosystems, has not been investigated. Accordingly, this study focused on the abundance, activity, community structure, and diversity of DNRA bacteria in full-scale WWTPs. DNRA bacteria were detected in all treatment units in six tested municipal WWTPs, even in aerobic zones (dissolved oxygen > 2 mg L-1). Although the relative abundance of DNRA bacteria (0.2-4.0%) was less than that of denitrifying bacteria (0.7-10.1%) among all investigated samples, the abundance of DNRA bacteria still reaches 109 gene copies g-1. However, 15N-isotope tracing indicated that the potential DNRA rates were significantly lower (0.4-2.1 nmol N g-1 h-1) than those of denitrification (9.5-15.7 nmol N g-1 h-1), but higher than anammox rate (0.3-1.3 nmol N g-1 h-1). The DNRA bacterial community structure was primarily affected by temperature gradient despite the treatment process. High-throughput sequencing analysis targeting the DNRA nrfA gene showed that Nitrospira accounted for the largest proportion of nrfA genes among all samples (6.2-36.3%), followed by Brocadia (5.9-22.1%). Network analysis further indicated that Nitrospira played an important role in both the DNRA bacterial community and entire bacterial community in municipal WWTPs. These results suggest that the ecological habitats of DNRA bacteria in anthropogenic ecosystems were far more abundant than previously assumed. However, the contribution to N transformation by the widespread DNRA was not significant in traditional municipal WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanyun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongdan Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guibing Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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46
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Spasov E, Tsuji JM, Hug LA, Doxey AC, Sauder LA, Parker WJ, Neufeld JD. High functional diversity among Nitrospira populations that dominate rotating biological contactor microbial communities in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:1857-1872. [PMID: 32332864 PMCID: PMC7305129 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0650-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Nitrification, the oxidation of ammonia to nitrate via nitrite, is an important process in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Members of the Nitrospira genus that contribute to complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) have only recently been discovered and their relevance to engineered water treatment systems is poorly understood. This study investigated distributions of Nitrospira, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in biofilm samples collected from tertiary rotating biological contactors (RBCs) of a municipal WWTP in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and metagenomics, our results demonstrate that Nitrospira species strongly dominate RBC biofilm samples and that comammox Nitrospira outnumber all other nitrifiers. Genome bins recovered from assembled metagenomes reveal multiple populations of comammox Nitrospira with distinct spatial and temporal distributions, including several taxa that are distinct from previously characterized Nitrospira members. Diverse functional profiles imply a high level of niche heterogeneity among comammox Nitrospira, in contrast to the sole detected AOA representative that was previously cultivated and characterized from the same RBC biofilm. Our metagenome bins also reveal two cyanase-encoding populations of comammox Nitrospira, suggesting an ability to degrade cyanate, which has only been shown previously for several Nitrospira representatives that are strict nitrite oxidizers. This study demonstrates the importance of RBCs as model systems for continued investigation of environmental factors that control the distributions and activities of AOB, AOA, comammox Nitrospira, and other nitrite oxidizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Spasov
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Jackson M Tsuji
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Laura A Hug
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew C Doxey
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Laura A Sauder
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Wayne J Parker
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Josh D Neufeld
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
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47
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Mehrani MJ, Sobotka D, Kowal P, Ciesielski S, Makinia J. The occurrence and role of Nitrospira in nitrogen removal systems. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 303:122936. [PMID: 32059161 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Application of the modern microbial techniques changed the paradigm about the microorganisms performing nitrification. Numerous investigations recognized representatives of the genus Nitrospira as a key and predominant nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in biological nutrient removal systems, especially under low dissolved oxygen and substrate conditions. The recent discovery of Nitrospira capable of performing complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) raised a fundamental question about the actual role of Nitrospira in both nitrification steps. This review summarizes the current knowledge about morphological, physiological and genetic characteristics of the canonical and comammox Nitrospira. Potential implications of comammox for the functional aspects of nitrogen removal have been highlighted. The complex meta-analysis of literature data was applied to identify specific individual variables and their combined interactions on the Nitrospira abundance. In addition to dissolved oxygen and influent nitrogen concentrations, temperature and pH may play an important role in enhancing or suppressing the Nitrospira activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad-Javad Mehrani
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dominika Sobotka
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Przemyslaw Kowal
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Sławomir Ciesielski
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul. Sloneczna 45G, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Jacek Makinia
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland.
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48
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Yang Y, Daims H, Liu Y, Herbold CW, Pjevac P, Lin JG, Li M, Gu JD. Activity and Metabolic Versatility of Complete Ammonia Oxidizers in Full-Scale Wastewater Treatment Systems. mBio 2020; 11:e03175-19. [PMID: 32184251 PMCID: PMC7078480 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03175-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent discovery of complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) contradicts the paradigm that chemolithoautotrophic nitrification is always catalyzed by two different microorganisms. However, our knowledge of the survival strategies of comammox in complex ecosystems, such as full-scale wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), remains limited. Analyses of genomes and in situ transcriptomes of four comammox organisms from two full-scale WWTPs revealed that comammox were active and showed a surprisingly high metabolic versatility. A gene cluster for the utilization of urea and a gene encoding cyanase suggest that comammox may use diverse organic nitrogen compounds in addition to free ammonia as the substrates. The comammox organisms also encoded the genomic potential for multiple alternative energy metabolisms, including respiration with hydrogen, formate, and sulfite as electron donors. Pathways for the biosynthesis and degradation of polyphosphate, glycogen, and polyhydroxyalkanoates as intracellular storage compounds likely help comammox survive unfavorable conditions and facilitate switches between lifestyles in fluctuating environments. One of the comammox strains acquired from the anaerobic tank encoded and transcribed genes involved in homoacetate fermentation or in the utilization of exogenous acetate, both pathways being unexpected in a nitrifying bacterium. Surprisingly, this strain also encoded a respiratory nitrate reductase which has not yet been found in any other Nitrospira genome and might confer a selective advantage to this strain over other Nitrospira strains in anoxic conditions.IMPORTANCE The discovery of comammox in the genus Nitrospira changes our perception of nitrification. However, genomes of comammox organisms have not been acquired from full-scale WWTPs, and very little is known about their survival strategies and potential metabolisms in complex wastewater treatment systems. Here, four comammox metagenome-assembled genomes and metatranscriptomic data sets were retrieved from two full-scale WWTPs. Their impressive and-among nitrifiers-unsurpassed ecophysiological versatility could make comammox Nitrospira an interesting target for optimizing nitrification in current and future bioreactor configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchun Yang
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Holger Daims
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, The Comammox Research Platform, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yang Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Craig W Herbold
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Pjevac
- University of Vienna, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jih-Gaw Lin
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
| | - Meng Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji-Dong Gu
- Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
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Hatzenpichler R, Krukenberg V, Spietz RL, Jay ZJ. Next-generation physiology approaches to study microbiome function at single cell level. Nat Rev Microbiol 2020; 18:241-256. [PMID: 32055027 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-0323-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The function of cells in their native habitat often cannot be reliably predicted from genomic data or from physiology studies of isolates. Traditional experimental approaches to study the function of taxonomically and metabolically diverse microbiomes are limited by their destructive nature, low spatial resolution or low throughput. Recently developed technologies can offer new insights into cellular function in natural and human-made systems and how microorganisms interact with and shape the environments that they inhabit. In this Review, we provide an overview of these next-generation physiology approaches and discuss how the non-destructive analysis of cellular phenotypes, in combination with the separation of the target cells for downstream analyses, provide powerful new, complementary ways to study microbiome function. We anticipate that the widespread application of next-generation physiology approaches will transform the field of microbial ecology and dramatically improve our understanding of how microorganisms function in their native environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Hatzenpichler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biofilm Engineering, and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Viola Krukenberg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biofilm Engineering, and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Rachel L Spietz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biofilm Engineering, and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Zackary J Jay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biofilm Engineering, and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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50
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Bacterial Community Changes Associated with Land Use Type in the Forest Montane Region of Northeast China. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f11010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Soil microorganisms play a vital role in the biogeochemical cycle, whereas land use change is one of the primary factors that affects the biodiversity and functionality of terrestrial ecosystems. The composition and diversity of bacterial communities (by high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene) were evaluated in the soils of the Montane Region of Northeast China, across different land use types, e.g., natural secondary forest (Quercus mongolica, QM), shrubland (SL), coniferous plantation (Larix gmelinii, LG, and Pinus koraiensis, PK), and agricultural land (Zea mays, ZM). Significant differences in the chemical characteristics and bacterial communities in soils under different land uses were observed in this study. Soil resident TC (total carbon) and TN (total nitrogen) were much higher in secondary natural forest soils, than in coniferous plantation and agricultural soils. Compared with forest and shrubland soils, soil bacterial OTUs, the Chao1 index, and the ACE index were the lowest in the ZM. There were high proportions of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Verrucomicrobia, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Saccharibacteria, and Nitrospirae in agricultural and forest soils, which accounted for over 90% of the reads in each sample. We found that the dominant group in the forest and shrubland soils was Proteobacteria, while the most dominant group in the ZM was Actinobacteria. The results of both heatmap and principal component analyses displayed groups according to land use types, which indicated that the bacterial communities in the areas under study were significantly influenced by long term differently managed land use. Furthermore, redundancy and Pearson correlation analyses revealed that the bacterial communities were primarily regulated by soil characteristics. This suggested that altered land use patterns initiated changes in the chemical properties of the soils, which affected the composition of microbial communities in this area. This provides a scientific basis for the evolutionary mechanism of soil quality, as well as the rational development and utilization of land resources.
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