Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System

The application of anaerobic digestors to decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) has gained momentum worldwide due to their ease of operation, high efficiency, and ability to recycle wastewater. However, the microbial mechanisms responsible for the high efficiency and ability of DWTS to r...

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Main Authors: Kun Zhang, Yan-Ling Zhang, Xin Ouyang, Jun-Peng Li, Jun-Jie Liao, Ao You, Xiu Yue, Guang-Jian Xie, Jie-Liang Liang, Jin-Tian Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-12-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/1/135
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spelling doaj-1c59b8e50c6f4f1ea44706e362672d782020-11-25T02:06:56ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172019-12-0110113510.3390/app10010135app10010135Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment SystemKun Zhang0Yan-Ling Zhang1Xin Ouyang2Jun-Peng Li3Jun-Jie Liao4Ao You5Xiu Yue6Guang-Jian Xie7Jie-Liang Liang8Jin-Tian Li9School of Eco-Environment Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSchool of Mechanics and Construction Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, ChinaSchool of Eco-Environment Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSchool of Eco-Environment Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSchool of Eco-Environment Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSchool of Eco-Environment Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSchool of Eco-Environment Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaSchool of Eco-Environment Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510300, ChinaInstitute of Ecological Science, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, ChinaInstitute of Ecological Science, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, ChinaThe application of anaerobic digestors to decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) has gained momentum worldwide due to their ease of operation, high efficiency, and ability to recycle wastewater. However, the microbial mechanisms responsible for the high efficiency and ability of DWTS to recycle wastewater are still unclear. In this study, the microbial community structure and function of two different anaerobic bioreactors (a primary sludge digestor, PSD, and anaerobic membrane bioreactor, AnMBR) of a DWTS located in Germany was investigated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic sequencing, respectively. The results showed that the microbial community structure was remarkably different in PSD and AnMBR. <i>Methanobacteriaceae</i> and <i>Syntrophaceae</i> were identified as the families that significantly differed in abundance between these two bioreactors. We also used genome-centered metagenomics to predict the microbial interactions and methane-generating pathway, which yielded 21 near-complete assembled genomes (MAGs) (average completeness of 93.0% and contamination of 2.9%). These MAGs together represented the majority of the microbial community. MAGs affiliated with methanogenic archaea, including <i>Methanobacterium</i> sp., <i>Methanomicrobiales</i> archaea, <i>Methanomassiliicoccales</i> archaea, and <i>Methanosaeta concilii</i>, were recruited, along with other syntrophic bacterial MAGs associated with anaerobic digestion. Key genes encoding enzymes involved in specific carbohydrate-active and methanogenic pathways in MAGs were identified to illustrate the microbial functions and interactions that occur during anaerobic digestion in the wastewater treatment. From the MAG information, it was predicted that bacteria affiliated with <i>Bacteroidetes</i>, <i>Prolixibacteraceae,</i> and <i>Synergistaceae</i> were the key bacteria involved in anaerobic digestion. In the methane production step, <i>Methanobacterium</i> sp. performed hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, which reduced carbon dioxide to methane with hydrogen as the primary electron donor. Taken together, our findings provide a clear understanding of the methane-generating pathways and highlight the syntrophic interactions that occur during anaerobic digestion in DWTS.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/1/135decentralized wastewater treatment systemprimary sludge digesteranaerobic membrane bioreactorgenome-centered metagenomemethane generation
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Kun Zhang
Yan-Ling Zhang
Xin Ouyang
Jun-Peng Li
Jun-Jie Liao
Ao You
Xiu Yue
Guang-Jian Xie
Jie-Liang Liang
Jin-Tian Li
spellingShingle Kun Zhang
Yan-Ling Zhang
Xin Ouyang
Jun-Peng Li
Jun-Jie Liao
Ao You
Xiu Yue
Guang-Jian Xie
Jie-Liang Liang
Jin-Tian Li
Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System
Applied Sciences
decentralized wastewater treatment system
primary sludge digester
anaerobic membrane bioreactor
genome-centered metagenome
methane generation
author_facet Kun Zhang
Yan-Ling Zhang
Xin Ouyang
Jun-Peng Li
Jun-Jie Liao
Ao You
Xiu Yue
Guang-Jian Xie
Jie-Liang Liang
Jin-Tian Li
author_sort Kun Zhang
title Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System
title_short Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System
title_full Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System
title_fullStr Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System
title_full_unstemmed Genome-Centered Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Interactions of a Syntrophic Consortium during Methane Generation in a Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System
title_sort genome-centered metagenomics analysis reveals the microbial interactions of a syntrophic consortium during methane generation in a decentralized wastewater treatment system
publisher MDPI AG
series Applied Sciences
issn 2076-3417
publishDate 2019-12-01
description The application of anaerobic digestors to decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) has gained momentum worldwide due to their ease of operation, high efficiency, and ability to recycle wastewater. However, the microbial mechanisms responsible for the high efficiency and ability of DWTS to recycle wastewater are still unclear. In this study, the microbial community structure and function of two different anaerobic bioreactors (a primary sludge digestor, PSD, and anaerobic membrane bioreactor, AnMBR) of a DWTS located in Germany was investigated using 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic sequencing, respectively. The results showed that the microbial community structure was remarkably different in PSD and AnMBR. <i>Methanobacteriaceae</i> and <i>Syntrophaceae</i> were identified as the families that significantly differed in abundance between these two bioreactors. We also used genome-centered metagenomics to predict the microbial interactions and methane-generating pathway, which yielded 21 near-complete assembled genomes (MAGs) (average completeness of 93.0% and contamination of 2.9%). These MAGs together represented the majority of the microbial community. MAGs affiliated with methanogenic archaea, including <i>Methanobacterium</i> sp., <i>Methanomicrobiales</i> archaea, <i>Methanomassiliicoccales</i> archaea, and <i>Methanosaeta concilii</i>, were recruited, along with other syntrophic bacterial MAGs associated with anaerobic digestion. Key genes encoding enzymes involved in specific carbohydrate-active and methanogenic pathways in MAGs were identified to illustrate the microbial functions and interactions that occur during anaerobic digestion in the wastewater treatment. From the MAG information, it was predicted that bacteria affiliated with <i>Bacteroidetes</i>, <i>Prolixibacteraceae,</i> and <i>Synergistaceae</i> were the key bacteria involved in anaerobic digestion. In the methane production step, <i>Methanobacterium</i> sp. performed hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, which reduced carbon dioxide to methane with hydrogen as the primary electron donor. Taken together, our findings provide a clear understanding of the methane-generating pathways and highlight the syntrophic interactions that occur during anaerobic digestion in DWTS.
topic decentralized wastewater treatment system
primary sludge digester
anaerobic membrane bioreactor
genome-centered metagenome
methane generation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/1/135
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