"CATAStrophy," a Genome-Informed Trophic Classification of Filamentous Plant Pathogens - How Many Different Types of Filamentous Plant Pathogens Are There?

The traditional classification of fungal and oomycete phytopathogens into three classes – biotrophs, hemibiotrophs, or necrotrophs – is unsustainable. This study highlights multiple phytopathogen species for which these labels have been inappropriately applied. We propose a novel and reproducible classification based solely on genome-derived analysis of carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) gene content called CAZyme-Assisted Training And Sorting of -trophy (CATAStrophy). CATAStrophy defines four major divisions for species associated with living plants. These are monomertrophs (Mo) (corresponding to biotrophs), polymertrophs (P) (corresponding to necrotrophs), mesotrophs (Me) (corresponding to hemibiotrophs), and vasculartrophs (including species commonly described as wilts, rots, or anthracnoses). The Mo class encompasses symbiont, haustorial, and non-haustorial species. Me are divided into the subclasses intracellular and extracellular Me, and the P into broad and narrow host sub-classes. This gives a total of seven discrete plant-pathogenic classes. The classification provides insight into the properties of these species and offers a facile route to develop control measures for newly recognized diseases. Software for CATAStrophy is available online at https://github.com/ccdmb/catastrophy. We present the CATAStrophy method for the prediction of trophic phenotypes based on CAZyme gene content, as a complementary method to the traditional tripartite “biotroph–hemibiotroph–necrotroph” classifications that may encourage renewed investigation and revision within the fungal biology community.

Enrichment of anammox from activated sludge and its application in the CANON process

A microbial culture capable of actively oxidizing ammonium to dinitrogen gas in the absence of oxygen, using nitrite as the electron acceptor, was enriched from local activated sludge (Western Australia) in <14 weeks. The maximum anaerobic ammonium oxidation (i.e., anammox) activity achieved by the anaerobic culture was 0.26 mmol NH (4) (+) (g biomass)(-1) h(-1) (0.58 kg total-N m(-3) day(-1)). Qualitative FISH analysis (fluorescence in situ hybridization) confirmed the phylogenetic position of the enriched microorganism as belonging to the order Planctomycetales, in which all currently identified anammox strains fall. Preliminary FISH analysis suggests the anammox strain belongs to the same phylogenetic group as the Candidatus 'Brocadia anammoxidans' strain discovered in the Netherlands. However, there are quite a few differences in the target sites for the more specific probes of these organisms and it is therefore likely to represent a new species of anammox bacteria. A small amount of aerobic ammonium-oxidizing biomass was inoculated into the anammox reactor (10% v/v) to initiate completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (the CANON process) in chemostat culture. The culture was always under oxygen limitation and no organic carbon was added. The CANON reactor was operated as an intermittently aerated system with 20 min aerobiosis and 30 min anaerobiosis, during which aerobic and anaerobic ammonium oxidation were performed in sequential fashion, respectively. Anammox was not inhibited by repeated intermittent exposure to oxygen, allowing sustained, completely autotrophic ammonium removal (0.08 kg N m(-3) day(-1)) for an extended period of time.

Treatment of nitrogen-rich wastewater using partial nitrification and anammox in the CANON process

Partial nitrification combined with Anammox in a single reactor (the CANON process) is an energy-efficient N-removal technology that could substantially lower the N-load of a WWTP by separate treatment of nitrogen-rich side streams, preventing the need for extensive expansion and reducing the total energy requirement. This study looks at the enrichment of Anammox from activated sludge and its application in the CANON process on lab-scale. The aim was to identify the critical process control parameters necessary for successful operation of CANON. An Anammox culture capable of removing 0.6 kg N/m3/d was enriched in 14 weeks in a sequencing batch reactor. Nitrifying biomass was inoculated into the Anammox reactor (10% v/v) together with limited oxygen supply (< 8 mL/min) to initiate the CANON process in continuous culture. The small flocs formed by the biomass (< 1000 microm) were sensitive to low O2 concentrations (< 0.1 mg/L) which prevented simultaneous nitrification and Anammox. Operation with 20 min aerobiosis and 30 min anaerobiosis was necessary to achieve sustained, completely autotrophic N-removal for an extended period at a rate of 0.08 kg N/m3/d. Essential process control parameters for stable CANON operation were the nitrite concentration, oxygen concentration, pH and the temperature.