Extracellular polymeric substances in aerobic granular sludge under increasing salinity conditions

Abstract

The long-term effects of environmental conditions, such as seawater salinity, on the extracellular investigated EPS changes during a stepwise increase in salinity (0–4%), renewing over 90% of biomass at each condition. Stable granulation, complete anaerobic acetate uptake, and phosphate removal were maintained throughout. FT-IR of granules showed significant changes in glycans (1025 cm⁻¹) and sialic acid (1730 cm⁻¹), which were reflected in the EPS. Lectin microarray revealed that increasing salinity reduced glycan diversity in EPS glycoproteins, while increasing negatively charged groups, including sialic acids and sulfated groups. At 4% salinity, EPS negative charge increased by 19.8% compared to 0%. Microbial community composition shifted from a diverse mix (Dechloromonas; 23%, “Candidatus Competibacter”; 13%, “Candidatus Accumulibacter”; 28%) at 0% to a dominant (69% – 75%) unclassified Accumulibacter clade I species at 1 - 4% salinity. Metaproteomic analysis showed strong upregulation of genes of “Ca. Accumulibacter” involved in monosaccharide, lipopolysaccharide, and peptidoglycan biosynthesis from 3% - 4% salinity, indicating its adaptation to salinity stress. Dechloromonas and “Ca. Competibacter” represented a minor or a non-significant fraction of those proteins related to glycan synthesis across the salinities. Despite that no glycoprotein biosynthesis pathways were identified in the metaproteomic data, three putative glycoproteins produced by “Ca. Accumulibacter” were detected across all conditions. They were downregulated as the salinity increased. These findings highlight how “Ca.Accumulibacter” dynamically adapts its EPS, particularly glycoprotein glycans, in response to increasing salinity, offering new insights into EPS adaptation under environmental stress.