Turnover of the extracellular polymeric matrix of granules performing biological phosphate removal

Journal Article (2023)
Author(s)

Sergio Tomas Martinez (TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)

Erwin J. Zwolsman (Student TU Delft)

Franck Merlier (Universite de Technologie de Compiegne)

M. Pabst (TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)

Y Lin (TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)

Mark M.C. van Loosdrecht (TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)

David Gregory Weissbrodt (TU Delft - BT/Environmental Biotechnology)

Research Group
BT/Environmental Biotechnology
Copyright
© 2023 S. Tomas Martinez, Erwin J. Zwolsman, Franck Merlier, Martin Pabst, Y. Lin, Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht, D.G. Weissbrodt
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-023-12421-7
More Info
expand_more
Publication Year
2023
Language
English
Copyright
© 2023 S. Tomas Martinez, Erwin J. Zwolsman, Franck Merlier, Martin Pabst, Y. Lin, Mark C.M. van Loosdrecht, D.G. Weissbrodt
Research Group
BT/Environmental Biotechnology
Issue number
5-6
Volume number
107
Pages (from-to)
1997-2009
Reuse Rights

Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.

Abstract

Polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) are responsible for enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) from wastewater, where they grow embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). EPSs comprise a mixture of biopolymers like polysaccharides or (glyco)proteins. Despite previous studies, little is known about the dynamics of EPS in mixed cultures, and their production by PAOs and potential consumption by flanking microbes. EPSs are biodegradable and have been suggested to be a substrate for other organisms in the community. Studying EPS turnover can help elucidate their biosynthesis and biodegradation cycles. We analyzed the turnover of proteins and polysaccharides in the EPS of an enrichment culture of PAOs relative to the turnover of internal proteins. An anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) simulating EBPR conditions was operated to enrich for PAOs. After achieving a stable culture, carbon source was switched to uniformly 13C-labeled acetate. Samples were collected at the end of each aerobic phase. EPSs were extracted by alkaline treatment. 13C enrichment in proteins and sugars (after hydrolysis of polysaccharides) in the extracted EPS were measured by mass spectrometry. The average turnover rate of sugars and proteins (0.167 and 0.192 d−1 respectively) was higher than the expected value based on the solid removal rate (0.132 d−1), and no significant difference was observed between intracellular and extracellular proteins. This indicates that EPS from the PAO enriched community is not selectively degraded by flanking populations under stable EBPR process conditions. Instead, we observed general decay of biomass, which corresponds to a value of 0.048 d−1. Key Points: • Proteins showed a higher turnover rate than carbohydrates. • Turnover of EPS was similar to the turnover of intracellular proteins. • EPS is not preferentially consumed by flanking populations.