Project description:Anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria mediate a key step in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle and have been applied worldwide for the energy-efficient removal of nitrogen from wastewater. However, outside their core energy metabolism, little is known about the metabolic networks driving anammox bacterial anabolism and mixotrophy beyond genome predictions. Here, we experimentally resolved the central carbon metabolism using metabolomics (LC-MS and GC-MS), metabolic flux analysis and proteomics (shot-gun proteomics).
Project description:Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) emerges as a sustainable solution for nitrogen removal in sewage, but it is susceptible to stress induced by xenobiotics that are ubiquitous in sewage. Despite wide recognition of this critical issue, a comprehensive understanding of the molecular and ecological mechanisms underlying the response of anammox consortia to xenobiotic stress remain elusive. Here, we integrated multi-omics approaches with biofilm reactor operation to unravel how bisphenol A (BPA, a representative xenobiotic) perturbs anammox consortia across environmentally relevant concentrations. We show that anammox consortia tolerated low BPA levels (0.2–2 mg/L), where nitrogen removal efficiency transiently declined and subsequently recovered, aided by a 30.9% increase in quorum-sensing (QS) signal C6-HSL. By contrast, exposure to ≥10 mg/L BPA caused severe and irreversible inhibition, with total inorganic nitrogen removal dropping to 17.8%. High BPA concentrations suppressed QS signaling, intensified oxidative stress, and compromised membrane integrity, leading to enzymatic inhibition and transcriptional repression of anammox functional genes. Multi-omics evidence revealed that BPA stress also promoted horizontal transfer of the BPA-degrading gene bisdA via extracellular DNA, suggesting a new community-level adaptive mechanism. Metagenomic and metabolomic analyses further indicated BPA-driven restructuring of microbial networks, namely high BPA levels favored denitrifiers and BPA degraders while suppressing anammox bacteria, and triggered metabolic reprogramming toward xenobiotic degradation at the expense of nucleotide and amino acid biosynthesis. Together, these findings reveal a multifaceted collapse mechanism of anammox under BPA stress, providing a mechanistic basis for designing strategies to safeguard microbial nitrogen removal in xenobiotic-laden wastewaters.
2026-03-27 | MTBLS14153 | MetaboLights
Project description:Anammox-HAP process for nitrogen removal and phosphorus recovery
Project description:Anaerobic digestion is a popular and effective microbial process for waste treatment. The performance of anaerobic digestion processes is contingent on the balance of the microbial food web in utilizing various substrates. Recently, co-digestion, i.e., supplementing the primary substrate with an organic-rich co-substrate has been exploited to improve waste treatment efficiency. Yet the potential effects of elevated organic loading on microbial functional gene community remains elusive. In this study, functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0) was used to assess the response of microbial community to the addition of poultry waste in anaerobic digesters treating dairy manure. Consistent with 16S rRNA gene sequences data, GeoChip data showed that microbial community compositions were significantly shifted in favor of copiotrophic populations by co-digestion, as taxa with higher rRNA gene copy number such as Bacilli were enriched. The acetoclastic methanogen Methanosarcina was also enriched, while Methanosaeta was unaltered but more abundant than Methanosarcina throughout the study period. The microbial functional diversity involved in anaerobic digestion were also increased under co-digestion.
Project description:Anaerobic ammonium-oxidising (anammox) bacteria, members of the ‘Candidatus Brocadiaceae’ family, play an important role in the nitrogen cycle and are estimated to be responsible for about half of the oceanic nitrogen loss to the atmosphere. Anammox bacteria combine ammonium with nitrite and produce dinitrogen gas via the intermediates nitric oxide and hydrazine (anammox reaction) while nitrate is formed as a by-product. These reactions take place in a specialized, membrane-bound compartment called the anammoxosome. Therefore, the substrates ammonium, nitrite and product nitrate have to cross the outer-, cytoplasmic- and anammoxosome membranes to enter or exit the anammoxosome. The genomes of all anammox species harbour multiple copies of ammonium-, nitrite- and nitrate transporter genes. Here we investigated how the distinct genes for ammonium-, nitrite- and nitrate- transport were expressed during substrate limitation in membrane bioreactors. Transcriptome analysis of Kuenenia stuttgartiensis planktonic cells under ammonium-limitation showed that three of the seven ammonium transporter genes and one of the six nitrite transporter genes were significantly upregulated, while another ammonium and nitrite transporter gene were downregulated in nitrite limited growth conditions. The two nitrate transporters were expressed to similar levels in both conditions. In addition, genes encoding enzymes involved in the anammox reaction were differentially expressed, with those using nitrite as a substrate being upregulated under nitrite limited growth and those using ammonium as a substrate being upregulated during ammonium limitation. Taken together, these results give a first insight in the potential role of the multiple nutrient transporters in regulating transport of substrates and products in and out of the compartmentalized anammox cell.
Project description:Food waste is a major source of environmental pollution, as its landfills attribute to greenhouse gas emissions. This study developed a robust upcycling bioprocess that converts food waste into lactic acid through autochthonous fermentation and further produces biodegradable polymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Food can be stored without affecting its bioconversion to lactic acid, making it feasible for industrial application. Mapping autochthonous microbiota in the food waste fermentation before and after storage revealed lactic-acid-producing microorganisms dominate during the indigenous fermentation. Furthermore, through global transcriptomic and gene set enrichment analyses, it was discovered that coupling lactic acid as carbon source with ammonium sulfate as nitrogen source in Cupriavidus necator culture upregulates pathways, including PHB biosynthesis, CO2 fixation, carbon metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and energy metabolism compared to pairing with ammonium nitrate. There was ∼90 % PHB content in the biomass. Overall, the study provides crucial insights into establishing a bioprocess for food waste repurposing.