Molecular characterization of bacterial and archaeal communities in a full-scale anaerobic reactor treating corn straw

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 143; pp. 512 - 518
• Main Authors: Qiao, Jiang-Tao, Qiu, Yan-Ling, Yuan, Xian-Zheng, Shi, Xiao-Shuang, Xu, Xiao-Hui, Guo, Rong-Bo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: 16S rRNA gene clone library; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Anaerobic degradation; Anaerobiosis; Archaea - genetics; Archaea - metabolism; Aromatic compounds; Bacteria; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - metabolism; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Communities; Corn; Corn straw; Degradation; DNA Primers; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microbial community; Microorganisms; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reactors; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Straw; Use and upgrading of agricultural and food by-products. Biotechnology; Use of agricultural and forest wastes. Biomass use, bioconversion; Various methods and equipments; Zea mays; Anaerobic degradation; Corn straw; 16S rRNA gene clone library; Microbial community; Biodegradation; Archaeobacteria; Ribosomal DNA; Gene library; Straw; Molecular parameter; Bioreactor; Anaerobe; Ribosomal RNA; Bacteria; Corn by product
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.06.014

•The anaerobic degradation pattern of corn straw for biogas production was investigated.•Besides volatile acids, aromatic compounds are intermediates in anaerobic degradation.•Hydrolytic and fermentative microorganisms dominate the bacterial community.•High proportion of syntrophic propionate and aromatic acids degrading bacteria were detected.•Hydrogenotrophic methanogens were more dominant than aceticlastic methanogens. A 16S rRNA gene-based method was used to characterize the structure of bacterial and archaeal communities in a full-scale, anaerobic reactor treating corn straw. Degradability experiment indicated biogas slurry had high microbial activity, the TS removal rate was 53% and the specific methanogenic activity was 86mLCH4gVSS−1d−1. During anaerobic degradation of corn straw, volatile acids and aromatic compounds (p-cresol, phenylpropionate, phenol and benzoate) were detected as transient intermediates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed bacterial community exhibited high diversity, 69 bacterial phylotypes in 13 phyla were identified. Firmicutes (48.3%), Chloroflexi (20.1%), Actinobacteria (9.1%), Bacteroidetes (7.7%), and Proteobacteria (7.2%) represented the most abundant bacterial phyla. Hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria were major bacterial populations. Moreover, a relatively high proportion of syntrophic propionate and aromatic compounds degrading bacteria were detected. In the archaeal clone library, 11 archaeal phylotypes affiliated with two phyla of Crenarchaeota (10%) and Euryarchaeota (90%) were identified.