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Molecular identification and dynamics of microbial communities in reactor treating organic household waste

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Abstract

The prokaryotic diversity associated with organic household waste (OHW), leachate (start-up inoculum), and mesophilic anaerobic digestion processes in the degradation of OHW for 44 and 90 days was investigated using a culture-independent approach. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA and mcrA gene clone libraries were constructed from community DNA preparations. Bacterial clones were affiliated with 13 phyla, of which Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were represented in all libraries, whereas Actinobacteria, Thermotogae, Lentisphaerae, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Synergistetes, Spirochaetes, Deferribacteres, and Deinococcus-Thermus were exclusively identified in a single library. Within the Archaea domain, the Euryarchaeota phylum was the only one represented. Corresponding sequences were associated with the following orders of hydrogenotrophic methanogens: Methanomicrobiales (Methanoculleus genus) and Methanobacteriales (Methanosphaera and Methanobacterium genera). One archaeal clone was not affiliated with any order and may represent a novel taxon. Diversity indices showed greater diversity of Bacteria when compared to methanogenic Archaea.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate the financial support provided by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) in the form of a scholarship to Juliana Cardinali Rezende. We are grateful to Defesa Florestal Limitada (DEFLOR/LTDA) for their technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31.270-901, Brazil

    Juliana Cardinali-Rezende, Renan B. Debarry, Edmar Chartone-Souza & Andrea M. A. Nascimento

  2. Defesa Florestal Limitada-DEFLOR/LTDA, Rua Major Lopes, 852, Bairro São Pedro, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30.330-050, Brazil

    Luis F. D. B. Colturato

  3. Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Escola de Engenharia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31.270-901, Brazil

    Eduardo V. Carneiro

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  1. Juliana Cardinali-Rezende
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Correspondence to Andrea M. A. Nascimento.

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Supplementary Fig. 3A

Rarefaction curves of (A) archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes in LC, OHW, OT44, and OT90 libraries and (B) archaeal mcrA gene in LC, OHW, and OT44 libraries. Clones were grouped into OTUs at a level of sequence similarity of ≥97%. A and B denote bacterial and archaeal clones, respectively. (GIFF 106 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 3B

Rarefaction curves of (A) archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes in LC, OHW, OT44 and OT90 libraries and (B) archaeal mcrA gene in LC, OHW, and OT44 libraries. Clones were grouped into OTUs at a level of sequence similarity of ≥97%. A and B denote bacterial and archaeal clones, respectively. (GIFF 93 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 4A

Results of LIBSHUFF comparisons of bacterial clone libraries from LC and OHW samples. Homologous and heterologous coverage curves for bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences are presented. (A) OHW as homologous coverage and LC as heterologous coverage; (B) LC as homologous coverage and OHW as heterologous coverage. Taxonomic distances (D) were calculated using the Jukes–Cantor correction. (GIFF 60 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 4B

Results of LIBSHUFF comparisons of bacterial clone libraries from LC and OHW samples. Homologous and heterologous coverage curves for bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences are presented. (A) OHW as homologous coverage and LC as heterologous coverage; (B) LC as homologous coverage and OHW as heterologous coverage. Taxonomic distances (D) were calculated using the Jukes–Cantor correction. (GIFF 55 kb)

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Cardinali-Rezende, J., Debarry, R.B., Colturato, L.F.D.B. et al. Molecular identification and dynamics of microbial communities in reactor treating organic household waste. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 84, 777–789 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2071-z

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