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Water filtration by burrowing sandprawns provides novel insights on endobenthic engineering and solutions for eutrophication.

ABSTRACT: Managing coastal ecosystems and preserving socio-ecological functioning require a comprehensive understanding of ecological services provided by resident organisms. Here, we provide novel information on water-filtration activities of endobenthic sandprawns (Callichirus kraussi), which are key ecosystem engineers in South African coasts. We demonstrate experimentally that benthic engineering by sandprawns reduces phytoplankton biomass by roughly 50%. Using long-term estuarine data, we demonstrate similar reductions in phytoplankton biomass (by roughly 70%) in sandprawn-dominated areas. Increased burrow wall chlorophyll-a relative to surface sediments that was evident in experiments suggests that pelagic filtration occurs through bi-directional water pumping and phytoplankton adsorption onto burrow walls. Our findings expand understanding of the ecological relevance of sandprawns and functionally similar organisms, the mechanisms by which they engineer ecosystems and their role in mediating coastal bentho-pelagic coupling. Our findings also highlight the potential for deposit-feeders to be used as nature-based solutions to counter coastal eutrophication.

SUBMITTER: Venter O

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7002505 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Water filtration by burrowing sandprawns provides novel insights on endobenthic engineering and solutions for eutrophication.

Venter Olivia O Pillay Deena D Prayag Kervin K

Scientific reports 20200205 1

Managing coastal ecosystems and preserving socio-ecological functioning require a comprehensive understanding of ecological services provided by resident organisms. Here, we provide novel information on water-filtration activities of endobenthic sandprawns (Callichirus kraussi), which are key ecosystem engineers in South African coasts. We demonstrate experimentally that benthic engineering by sandprawns reduces phytoplankton biomass by roughly 50%. Using long-term estuarine data, we demonstrate ...[more]

PMID: 32024954

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Project description:Actinobacillus succinogenes, a Gram-negative facultative anaerobe, exhibits the native capacity to convert pentose and hexose sugars to succinic acid (SA) with high yield as a tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediate. In addition, A. succinogenes is capnophilic, incorporating CO2 into SA, making this organism an ideal candidate host for conversion of lignocellulosic sugars and CO2 to an emerging commodity bioproduct sourced from renewable feedstocks. In this work, we report the development of facile metabolic engineering capabilities in A. succinogenes, enabling examination of SA flux determinants via knockout of the primary competing pathways-namely, acetate and formate production-and overexpression of the key enzymes in the reductive branch of the TCA cycle leading to SA. Batch fermentation experiments with the wild-type and engineered strains using pentose-rich sugar streams demonstrate that the overexpression of the SA biosynthetic machinery (in particular, the enzyme malate dehydrogenase) enhances flux to SA. Additionally, removal of competitive carbon pathways leads to higher-purity SA but also triggers the generation of by-products not previously described from this organism (e.g., lactic acid). The resultant engineered strains also lend insight into energetic and redox balance and elucidate mechanisms governing organic acid biosynthesis in this important natural SA-producing microbe.IMPORTANCE Succinic acid production from lignocellulosic residues is a potential route for enhancing the economic feasibility of modern biorefineries. Here, we employ facile genetic tools to systematically manipulate competing acid production pathways and overexpress the succinic acid-producing machinery in Actinobacillus succinogenes Furthermore, the resulting strains are evaluated via fermentation on relevant pentose-rich sugar streams representative of those from corn stover. Overall, this work demonstrates genetic modifications that can lead to succinic acid production improvements and identifies key flux determinants and new bottlenecks and energetic needs when removing by-product pathways in A. succinogenes metabolism.

Dataset Information

Water filtration by burrowing sandprawns provides novel insights on endobenthic engineering and solutions for eutrophication.

Publications

Water filtration by burrowing sandprawns provides novel insights on endobenthic engineering and solutions for eutrophication.

Similar Datasets

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