Characterization of microbial consortia in a terephthalate-degrading anaerobic granular sludge system

• Published in: Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) Vol. 147; no. 2; pp. 373 - 382
• Main Authors: Wu, Jer-Horng, Liu, Wen-Tso, Tseng, I-Cheng, Cheng, Sheng-Shung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.02.2001; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Anaerobiosis; Archaea - classification; Archaea - genetics; Archaea - growth & development; Archaea - isolation & purification; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Deltaproteobacteria - classification; Deltaproteobacteria - genetics; Deltaproteobacteria - growth & development; Deltaproteobacteria - isolation & purification; DNA, Ribosomal - analysis; Ecosystem; Environment and pollution; Euryarchaeota - classification; Euryarchaeota - genetics; Euryarchaeota - growth & development; Euryarchaeota - isolation & purification; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Microscopy, Electron; Molecular Sequence Data; Phthalic Acids - metabolism; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sewage - microbiology; Water Pollutants - metabolism; Biodegradation; Methanomicrobiaceae; Archaeobacteria; Ribosomal DNA; Terephthalic acid; Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor; Identification; Phylogeny; Biodiversity; Methanospirillum; Electron microscopy; Terephthalate polymer; Biological purification; Methanomicrobiales; Pollutant; Bioreactor; Spatial distribution; Fluorescence in situ hybridization; Methanobacteriaceae; 16S-RNA; Bacteria; Waste water purification; Microbial community; Methanobacteriales
• ISSN: 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-147-2-373

Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 1 Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Chungli 32054, Taiwan 2 Department of Biology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan 3 Author for correspondence: Wen-Tso Liu. Tel: +886 3422 7151 ext. 4683. Fax: +886 3426 9401. e-mail: liuwt{at}cc.ncu.edu.tw The microbial composition and spatial distribution in a terephthalate-degrading anaerobic granular sludge system were characterized using molecular techniques. 16S rDNA clone library and sequence analysis revealed that 78·5% of 106 bacterial clones belonged to the subclass of the class Proteobacteria ; the remaining clones were assigned to the green non-sulfur bacteria (7·5%), Synergistes (0·9%) and unidentified divisions (13·1%). Most of the bacterial clones in the - Proteobacteria formed a novel group containing no known bacterial isolates. For the domain Archaea , 81·7% and 18·3% of 72 archaeal clones were affiliated with Methanosaeta and Methanospirillum , respectively. Spatial localization of microbial populations inside granules was determined by transmission electron microscopy and fluorescent in situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes targeting the novel -proteobacterial group, the acetoclastic Methanosaeta , and the hydrogenotrophic Methanospirillum and members of Methanobacteriaceae . The novel group included at least two different populations with identical rod-shape morphology, which made up more than 87% of the total bacterial cells, and were closely associated with methanogenic populations to form a nonlayered granular structure. This novel group was presumed to be the primary bacterial population involved in the terephthalate degradation in the methanogenic granular consortium. Keywords: denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, clone library, 16S rDNA, in situ hybridization, UASB Abbreviations: DGGE, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; FISH, fluorescent in situ hybridization; GNS, green non-sulfur; OTU, operational taxonomic unit; TEM, transmission electron microscopy; UASB, upflow anaerobic sludge bed The GenBank accession numbers for the sequences obtained in this work are AF229774 – AF229793 .