title: Are some putative glycogen accumulating organisms (GAO) in anaerobic : aerobic activated sludge systems members of the alpha-Proteobacteria?
abstract: Activated sludge plants designed to remove phosphorus microbiologically often perform unreliably. One suggestion is that the polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO) are out-competed for substrates by another group of bacteria, the glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAO) in the anaerobic zones of these processes. This study used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to analyse the communities from laboratory-scale anaerobic : aerobic sequencing batch reactors. Members of the genus Sphingomonas in the alpha-Proteobacteria were present in large numbers in communities with poor phosphorus removal capacity where the biomass had a high glycogen content. Their ability to store poly-beta-hydroxyalkanoates anaerobically, but not aerobically, and not accumulate polyphosphate aerobically is consistent with these organisms behaving as GAO there. No evidence was found to support an important role for the gamma-Proteobacteria as possible GAO in these communities, although these bacterial populations have been considered in other studies to act as possible competitors for the PAO.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Centre, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Centre, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia.
authors.forename: Yun H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Centre, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Seviour
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D019149:Bioreactors; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D020578:Sphingomonas / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012722:Sewage; D010758:Phosphorus; D006003:Glycogen