Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.

Typically, nitrification is a two-stage microbial process and is key in wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery from waste streams. Changes in salinity represent a major stress factor that can trigger response mechanisms, impacting the activity and the physiology of bacteria. Despite its pivotal...

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Main Authors: Chiara Ilgrande, Baptiste Leroy, Ruddy Wattiez, Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck, Nico Boon, Peter Clauwaert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2018-11-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02914/full
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author Chiara Ilgrande
Baptiste Leroy
Ruddy Wattiez
Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck
Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck
Nico Boon
Peter Clauwaert
author_facet Chiara Ilgrande
Baptiste Leroy
Ruddy Wattiez
Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck
Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck
Nico Boon
Peter Clauwaert
author_sort Chiara Ilgrande
collection DOAJ
description Typically, nitrification is a two-stage microbial process and is key in wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery from waste streams. Changes in salinity represent a major stress factor that can trigger response mechanisms, impacting the activity and the physiology of bacteria. Despite its pivotal biotechnological role, little information is available on the specific response of nitrifying bacteria to varying levels of salinity. In this study, synthetic communities of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB Nitrosomonas europaea and/or Nitrosomonas ureae) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB Nitrobacter winogradskyi and/or Nitrobacter vulgaris) were tested at 5, 10, and 30 mS cm-1 by adding sodium chloride to the mineral medium (0, 40, and 200 mM NaCl, respectively). Ammonia oxidation activity was less affected by salinity than nitrite oxidation. AOB, on their own or in combination with NOB, showed no significant difference in the ammonia oxidation rate among the three conditions. However, N. winogradskyi improved the absolute ammonia oxidation rate of both N. europaea and N. ureae. N. winogradskyi’s nitrite oxidation rate decreased to 42% residual activity upon exposure to 30 mS cm-1, also showing a similar behavior when tested with Nitrosomonas spp. The nitrite oxidation rate of N. vulgaris, as a single species, was not affected when adding sodium chloride up to 30 mS cm-1, however, its activity was completely inhibited when combined with Nitrosomonas spp. in the presence of ammonium/ammonia. The proteomic analysis of a co-culture of N. europaea and N. winogradskyi revealed the production of osmolytes, regulation of cell permeability and an oxidative stress response in N. europaea and an oxidative stress response in N. winogradskyi, as a result of increasing the salt concentration from 5 to 30 mS cm-1. A specific metabolic response observed in N. europaea suggests the role of carbon metabolism in the production of reducing power, possibly to meet the energy demands of the stress response mechanisms, induced by high salinity. For the first time, metabolic modifications and response mechanisms caused by the exposure to salinity were described, serving as a tool toward controllability and predictability of nitrifying systems exposed to salt fluctuations.
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spelling doaj.art-f467b54abf3f4072ba69674afbb6fbff2022-12-21T18:31:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2018-11-01910.3389/fmicb.2018.02914418659Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.Chiara Ilgrande0Baptiste Leroy1Ruddy Wattiez2Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck3Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck4Nico Boon5Peter Clauwaert6Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Proteomics and Microbiology, Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, BelgiumDepartment of Proteomics and Microbiology, Research institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, BelgiumCenter for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumResearch Group of Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumCenter for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumCenter for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumTypically, nitrification is a two-stage microbial process and is key in wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery from waste streams. Changes in salinity represent a major stress factor that can trigger response mechanisms, impacting the activity and the physiology of bacteria. Despite its pivotal biotechnological role, little information is available on the specific response of nitrifying bacteria to varying levels of salinity. In this study, synthetic communities of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB Nitrosomonas europaea and/or Nitrosomonas ureae) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB Nitrobacter winogradskyi and/or Nitrobacter vulgaris) were tested at 5, 10, and 30 mS cm-1 by adding sodium chloride to the mineral medium (0, 40, and 200 mM NaCl, respectively). Ammonia oxidation activity was less affected by salinity than nitrite oxidation. AOB, on their own or in combination with NOB, showed no significant difference in the ammonia oxidation rate among the three conditions. However, N. winogradskyi improved the absolute ammonia oxidation rate of both N. europaea and N. ureae. N. winogradskyi’s nitrite oxidation rate decreased to 42% residual activity upon exposure to 30 mS cm-1, also showing a similar behavior when tested with Nitrosomonas spp. The nitrite oxidation rate of N. vulgaris, as a single species, was not affected when adding sodium chloride up to 30 mS cm-1, however, its activity was completely inhibited when combined with Nitrosomonas spp. in the presence of ammonium/ammonia. The proteomic analysis of a co-culture of N. europaea and N. winogradskyi revealed the production of osmolytes, regulation of cell permeability and an oxidative stress response in N. europaea and an oxidative stress response in N. winogradskyi, as a result of increasing the salt concentration from 5 to 30 mS cm-1. A specific metabolic response observed in N. europaea suggests the role of carbon metabolism in the production of reducing power, possibly to meet the energy demands of the stress response mechanisms, induced by high salinity. For the first time, metabolic modifications and response mechanisms caused by the exposure to salinity were described, serving as a tool toward controllability and predictability of nitrifying systems exposed to salt fluctuations.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02914/fullstress responseproteome analysiscarbon metabolismosmolytespure cultureMELiSSA
spellingShingle Chiara Ilgrande
Baptiste Leroy
Ruddy Wattiez
Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck
Siegfried Elias Vlaeminck
Nico Boon
Peter Clauwaert
Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.
Frontiers in Microbiology
stress response
proteome analysis
carbon metabolism
osmolytes
pure culture
MELiSSA
title Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.
title_full Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.
title_fullStr Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.
title_full_unstemmed Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.
title_short Metabolic and Proteomic Responses to Salinity in Synthetic Nitrifying Communities of Nitrosomonas spp. and Nitrobacter spp.
title_sort metabolic and proteomic responses to salinity in synthetic nitrifying communities of nitrosomonas spp and nitrobacter spp
topic stress response
proteome analysis
carbon metabolism
osmolytes
pure culture
MELiSSA
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02914/full
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