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Zou Y, Zhang J, Wang J, Gong X, Jiang T, Yan Y. A self-regulated network for dynamically balancing multiple precursors in complex biosynthetic pathways. Metab Eng 2024; 82:69-78. [PMID: 38316239 PMCID: PMC10947840 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Microbial synthesis has emerged as a promising and sustainable alternative to traditional chemical synthesis and plant extraction. However, the competition between synthetic pathways and central metabolic pathways for cellular resources may impair final production efficiency. Moreover, when the synthesis of target product requires multiple precursors from the same node, the conflicts of carbon flux have further negative impacts on yields. In this study, a self-regulated network was developed to relieve the competition of precursors in complex synthetic pathways. Using 4-hydroxycoumarin (4-HC) synthetic pathway as a proof of concept, we employed an intermediate as a trigger to dynamically rewire the metabolic flux of pyruvate and control the expression levels of genes in 4-HC synthetic pathway, achieving self-regulation of multiple precursors and enhanced titer. Transcriptomic analysis results additionally demonstrated that the gene transcriptional levels of both pyruvate kinase PykF and synthetic pathway enzyme SdgA dynamically changed according to the intermediate concentrations. Overall, our work established a self-regulated network to dynamically balance the metabolic flux of two precursors in 4-HC biosynthesis, providing insight into balancing biosynthetic pathways where multiple precursors compete and interfere with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusong Zou
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jianli Zhang
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jian Wang
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Xinyu Gong
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Tian Jiang
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Yajun Yan
- School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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2
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Li ZH, Yang JW, Zhang H. Increase metabolic heat to compensate for low temperature in activated sludge systems. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 250:121068. [PMID: 38154337 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.121068] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
The efficient operation of activated sludge systems is frequently hindered by low temperatures, and extensive research has been conducted to overcome this difficulty. However, the effect of varying temperatures on heat generation during substrate degradation remains unclear. In this study, results from laboratory-scale reactors show that sludge generated 5.36 ± 0.58 J/mg COD, 4.45 ± 0.24 J/mg COD, and 4.22 ± 0.26 J/mg COD at 10 °C, 20 °C, and 30 °C under aerobic conditions, respectively. Similarly, the sludge generated 4.05 ± 0.31 J/mg COD, 2.37 ± 0.15 J/mg COD, and 2.89 ± 0.18 J/mg COD under anoxic conditions. Despite the decreased respiration rates and hence reduced pollutant removal efficiency, sludge exhibited effective heat generation at low temperatures. Results from the full-scale plant also show a negative correlation between the heat generation capacity of microorganisms and the temperatures. 14.2 °C is considered the critical wastewater temperature for microorganisms' heat generation to offset the investigated plant's heat dissipation. This observation verified that thermal compensation for low temperatures was also significant in the full-scale plant. The mechanism of low-temperature compensation is attributed to non-growth processes being less dependent on temperature than growth processes, resulting in slow microbial growth but high heat generation at low temperatures. These findings provide valuable insights into the design and sustainable operation of wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Hua Li
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
| | - Jia-Wei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment, and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Equipment Technology for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
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3
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Marschmann GL, Tang J, Zhalnina K, Karaoz U, Cho H, Le B, Pett-Ridge J, Brodie EL. Predictions of rhizosphere microbiome dynamics with a genome-informed and trait-based energy budget model. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:421-433. [PMID: 38316928 PMCID: PMC10847045 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01582-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Soil microbiomes are highly diverse, and to improve their representation in biogeochemical models, microbial genome data can be leveraged to infer key functional traits. By integrating genome-inferred traits into a theory-based hierarchical framework, emergent behaviour arising from interactions of individual traits can be predicted. Here we combine theory-driven predictions of substrate uptake kinetics with a genome-informed trait-based dynamic energy budget model to predict emergent life-history traits and trade-offs in soil bacteria. When applied to a plant microbiome system, the model accurately predicted distinct substrate-acquisition strategies that aligned with observations, uncovering resource-dependent trade-offs between microbial growth rate and efficiency. For instance, inherently slower-growing microorganisms, favoured by organic acid exudation at later plant growth stages, exhibited enhanced carbon use efficiency (yield) without sacrificing growth rate (power). This insight has implications for retaining plant root-derived carbon in soils and highlights the power of data-driven, trait-based approaches for improving microbial representation in biogeochemical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianna L Marschmann
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jinyun Tang
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kateryna Zhalnina
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ulas Karaoz
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Heejung Cho
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Beatrice Le
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Pett-Ridge
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
- Life and Environmental Sciences Department, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Eoin L Brodie
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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4
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Wang C, Kuzyakov Y. Energy use efficiency of soil microorganisms: Driven by carbon recycling and reduction. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6170-6187. [PMID: 37646316 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Carbon use efficiency (CUE) is being intensively applied to quantify carbon (C) cycling processes from microbial cell to global scales. Energy use efficiency (EUE) is at least as important as the CUE because (i) microorganisms use organic C mainly as an energy source and not as elemental C per se, and (ii) microbial growth and maintenance are limited by energy, but not by C as a structural element. We conceptualize and review the importance of EUE by soil microorganisms and focus on (i) the energy content in organic compounds depending on the nominal oxidation state of carbon (NOSC), (ii) approaches to assess EUE, (iii) similarities and differences between CUE and EUE, and (iv) discuss mechanisms responsible for lower EUE compared to CUE. The energy content per C atom (enthalpy of combustion, the total energy stored in a compound) in organic compounds is very closely (R2 = 0.98) positively related to NOSC and increases by 108 kJ mol-1 C per one NOSC unit. For the first time we assessed the NOSC of microbial biomass in soil (-0.52) and calculated the corresponding energy content of -510 kJ mol-1 C. We linked CUE and EUE considering the NOSC of microbial biomass and element compositions of substrates utilized by microorganisms. The mean microbial EUE (0.32-0.35) is 18% lower than CUE (0.41) using glucose as a substrate. This definitely indicates that microbial growth is limited by energy relative to C. Based on the comparison of a broad range of processes of C and energy utilization for cell growth and maintenance, as well as database of experimental CUE from various compounds, we clearly explained five mechanisms and main factors why EUE is lower than CUE. The two main mechanisms behind lower EUE versus CUE are: (i) microbial recycling: C can be microbially recycled, whereas energy is always utilized only once, and (ii) chemical reduction of organic and inorganic compounds: Energy is used for reduction, which is ongoing without C utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqun Wang
- Biogeochemistry of Agroecosystems, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yakov Kuzyakov
- Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Department of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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5
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Wray AC, Gorman-Lewis D. Bioenergetics of aerobic and anaerobic growth of Shewanella putrefaciens CN32. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1234598. [PMID: 37601367 PMCID: PMC10433392 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1234598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Shewanella putrefaciens is a model dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium that can use Fe(III) and O2 as terminal electron acceptors. Consequently, it has the ability to influence both aerobic and anaerobic groundwater systems, making it an ideal microorganism for improving our understanding of facultative anaerobes with iron-based metabolism. In this work, we examine the bioenergetics of O2 and Fe(III) reduction coupled to lactate oxidation in Shewanella putrefaciens CN32. Bioenergetics were measured directly via isothermal calorimetry and by changes to the chemically defined growth medium. We performed these measurements from 25 to 36°C. Modeling metabolism with macrochemical equations allowed us to define a theoretical growth stoichiometry for the catabolic reaction of 1.00 O2:lactate and 1.33 Fe(III):lactate that was consistent with the observed ratios of O2:lactate (1.20 ± 0.23) and Fe(III):lactate (1.46 ± 0.15) consumption. Aerobic growth showed minimal variation with temperature and minimal variation in thermodynamic potentials of incubation. Fe(III)-based growth showed a strong temperature dependence. The Gibbs energy and enthalpy of incubation was minimized at ≥30°C. Energy partitioning modeling of Fe(III)-based calorimetric incubation data predicted that energy consumption for non-growth associate maintenance increases substantially above 30°C. This prediction agrees with the data at 33 and 35°C. These results suggest that the effects of temperature on Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 are metabolism dependent. Gibbs energy of incubation above 30°C was 3-5 times more exergonic with Fe(III)-based growth than with aerobic growth. We compared data gathered in this study with predictions of microbial growth based on standard-state conditions and based on the thermodynamic efficiency of microbial growth. Quantifying the growth requirements of Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 has advanced our understanding of the thermodynamic constraints of this dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Addien C. Wray
- Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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6
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Manzoni S, Chakrawal A, Ledder G. Decomposition rate as an emergent property of optimal microbial foraging. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1094269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Decomposition kinetics are fundamental for quantifying carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Several theories have been proposed to construct process-based kinetics laws, but most of these theories do not consider that microbial decomposers can adapt to environmental conditions, thereby modulating decomposition. Starting from the assumption that a homogeneous microbial community maximizes its growth rate over the period of decomposition, we formalize decomposition as an optimal control problem where the decomposition rate is a control variable. When maintenance respiration is negligible, we find that the optimal decomposition kinetics scale as the square root of the substrate concentration, resulting in growth kinetics following a Hill function with exponent 1/2 (rather than the Monod growth function). When maintenance respiration is important, optimal decomposition is a more complex function of substrate concentration, which does not decrease to zero as the substrate is depleted. With this optimality-based formulation, a trade-off emerges between microbial carbon-use efficiency (ratio of growth rate over substrate uptake rate) and decomposition rate at the beginning of decomposition. In environments where carbon substrates are easily lost due to abiotic or biotic factors, microbes with higher uptake capacity and lower efficiency are selected, compared to environments where substrates remain available. The proposed optimization framework provides an alternative to purely empirical or process-based formulations for decomposition, allowing exploration of the effects of microbial adaptation on element cycling.
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7
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Ammonia Production Using Bacteria and Yeast toward a Sustainable Society. BIOENGINEERING (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:bioengineering10010082. [PMID: 36671654 PMCID: PMC9854848 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10010082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia is an important chemical that is widely used in fertilizer applications as well as in the steel, chemical, textile, and pharmaceutical industries, which has attracted attention as a potential fuel. Thus, approaches to achieve sustainable ammonia production have attracted considerable attention. In particular, biological approaches are important for achieving a sustainable society because they can produce ammonia under mild conditions with minimal environmental impact compared with chemical methods. For example, nitrogen fixation by nitrogenase in heterogeneous hosts and ammonia production from food waste using microorganisms have been developed. In addition, crop production using nitrogen-fixing bacteria has been considered as a potential approach to achieving a sustainable ammonia economy. This review describes previous research on biological ammonia production and provides insights into achieving a sustainable society.
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8
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Wang C, Yang Y, Wang Y, Wang D, Xu X, Wang Y, Li L, Yang C, Zhang T. Absolute quantification and genome-centric analyses elucidate the dynamics of microbial populations in anaerobic digesters. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 224:119049. [PMID: 36108398 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119049] [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: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) relies on myriads of functions performed by complex microbial communities in customized settings, thus, a comprehensive investigation on the AD microbiome is central to the fine-tuned control. Most current AD microbiome studies are based on relative abundance, which hinders the interpretation of microbes' dynamics and inter-sample comparisons. Here, we developed an absolute quantification (AQ) approach that integrated cellular spike-ins with metagenomic sequencing to elucidate microbial community variations and population dynamics in four anaerobic digesters. Using this method, 253 microbes were defined as decaying populations with decay rates ranging from -0.05 to -5.85 d-1, wherein, a population from Flavobacteriaceae family decayed at the highest rates of -3.87 to -5.85 d-1 in four digesters. Meanwhile, 25 microbes demonstrated the growing trend in the AD processes with growth rates ranging from 0.11 to 1.77 d-1, and genome-centric analysis assigned some of the populations to the functional niches of hydrolysis, short-chain fatty acids metabolism, and methane generation. Additionally, we observed that the specific activity of methanogens was lower in the prolonged digestion stage, and redundancy analysis revealed that the feedstock composition and the digestion duration were the two key parameters in governing the AD microbial compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiao Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yulin Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dou Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoqing Xu
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yubo Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Liguan Li
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Centre for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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9
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Zhao P, Zhao S, Wang HG, Lu M, Li ZH. Encapsulation of bacteria in different stratified extracellular polymeric substances and its implications for performance enhancement and resource recovery. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 220:118684. [PMID: 35661510 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Simultaneous recovery of biopolymers and enhanced bio-reactor performance are promising options for sustainable wastewater treatment, and the bioactivity of sludge after biopolymer extraction is thus critical for the performance of the system. To this end, stratified extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including slime, loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), were extracted, and the bioactivities of the consequent extraction residues were assessed using aerobic respirogram, kinetic, and flow cytometry (FCM). After the initial weak extraction of slime, the particle size distribution of the sludge significantly decreased, and subsequent extractions of LB-EPS and TB-EPS produced an equivalent size distribution. In contrast, the fractal dimension decreased after each extraction, suggesting that LB-EPS and TB-EPS affected the compactness of flocs rather than the size. The aerobic bacteria distribution estimated using respirogram shows that slime mainly encapsulated heterotrophs while LB-EPS mainly encapsulated nitrifiers. In addition, the ammonia-nitrogen affinity coefficient decreased from 1.79 to 0.28 mg/L when slime was removed, thereby encouraging the activities of autotrophic nitrifiers. Further removal of LB-EPS induced high energy dispersion as the maintenance coefficient m and the metabolic dispersion index μ/m increased from 0.11 to 0.22 and 0.44 to 0.63, respectively. Meanwhile, the yield rate decreased from 0.77 to 0.66. Although pellets that resulted from TB-EPS extraction were not aerobically active as described by respirogram and growth curves, they were still metabolically active as measured by live/dead cell counting and redox sensor green signal. These pellets used more energy for maintenance as indicated by the high maintenance coefficient than those residual after either slime or LB-EPS extraction. In addition, the variation in bacteria community distribution across flocs was related to the variation in temperatures, suggesting that the inner part of a floc might be hotter than the outer side. Therefore, compared to bacteria in the raw sludge, the viable bacteria bounded in LB-EPS and TB-EPS convert more energy to heat rather than growth. These results indicate that energy was dispersed as metabolic heat for the LB-EPS extracted sludge, and removal of LB-EPS favored thermogenesis and sludge reduction. Based on the above findings, a simultaneously EPS-recovery and performance enhancement configuration is thus proposed, which holds great promise for the integration of next-generation wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Song Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Hai-Guang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Meng Lu
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Li
- Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
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10
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Hunt KA, von Netzer F, Gorman-Lewis D, Stahl DA. Microbial maintenance energy quantified and modeled with microcalorimetry. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:2413-2422. [PMID: 35680566 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Refining the energetic costs of cellular maintenance is essential for predicting microbial growth and survival in the environment. Here, we evaluate a simple batch culture method to quantify energy partitioning between growth and maintenance using microcalorimetry and thermodynamic modeling. The constants derived from the batch culture system were comparable to those that have been reported from meta-analyses of data derived from chemostat studies. The model accurately predicted temperature-dependent biomass yield and the upper temperature limit of growth for Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20, suggesting the method may have broad application. An Arrhenius temperature dependence for the specific energy consumption rate, inferred from substrate consumption and heat evolution, was observed over the entire viable temperature range. By combining this relationship for specific energy consumption rates and observed specific growth rates, the model describes an increase in nongrowth associated maintenance at higher temperatures and the corresponding decrease in energy available for growth. This analytical and thermodynamic formulation suggests that simply monitoring heat evolution in batch culture could be a useful complement to the recognized limitations of estimating maintenance using extrapolation to zero growth in chemostats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher A Hunt
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Frederick von Netzer
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Drew Gorman-Lewis
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - David A Stahl
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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11
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Chakrawal A, Calabrese S, Herrmann AM, Manzoni S. Interacting Bioenergetic and Stoichiometric Controls on Microbial Growth. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:859063. [PMID: 35656001 PMCID: PMC9152356 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.859063] [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: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms function as open systems that exchange matter and energy with their surrounding environment. Even though mass (carbon and nutrients) and energy exchanges are tightly linked, there is a lack of integrated approaches that combine these fluxes and explore how they jointly impact microbial growth. Such links are essential to predicting how the growth rate of microorganisms varies, especially when the stoichiometry of carbon- (C) and nitrogen (N)-uptake is not balanced. Here, we present a theoretical framework to quantify the microbial growth rate for conditions of C-, N-, and energy-(co-) limitations. We use this framework to show how the C:N ratio and the degree of reduction of the organic matter (OM), which is also the electron donor, availability of electron acceptors (EAs), and the different sources of N together control the microbial growth rate under C, nutrient, and energy-limited conditions. We show that the growth rate peaks at intermediate values of the degree of reduction of OM under oxic and C-limited conditions, but not under N-limited conditions. Under oxic conditions and with N-poor OM, the growth rate is higher when the inorganic N (NInorg)-source is ammonium compared to nitrate due to the additional energetic cost involved in nitrate reduction. Under anoxic conditions, when nitrate is both EA and NInorg-source, the growth rates of denitrifiers and microbes performing the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA) are determined by both OM degree of reduction and nitrate-availability. Consistent with the data, DNRA is predicted to foster growth under extreme nitrate-limitation and with a reduced OM, whereas denitrifiers are favored as nitrate becomes more available and in the presence of oxidized OM. Furthermore, the growth rate is reduced when catabolism is coupled to low energy yielding EAs (e.g., sulfate) because of the low carbon use efficiency (CUE). However, the low CUE also decreases the nutrient demand for growth, thereby reducing N-limitation. We conclude that bioenergetics provides a useful conceptual framework for explaining growth rates under different metabolisms and multiple resource-limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Chakrawal
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Salvatore Calabrese
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Anke M Herrmann
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefano Manzoni
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Network representation and analysis of energy coupling mechanisms in cellular metabolism by a graph-theoretical approach. Theory Biosci 2022; 141:249-260. [DOI: 10.1007/s12064-022-00370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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