title: Proton motive force generation from stored polymers for the uptake of acetate under anaerobic conditions.
abstract: The bacteria facilitating enhanced biological phosphorus removal gain a selective advantage from intracellularly stored polymer-driven substrate uptake under anaerobic conditions during sequential anaerobic : aerobic cycling. Mechanisms for these unusual membrane transport processes were proposed and experimentally validated using selective inhibitors and highly-enriched cultures of a polyphosphate-accumulating organism, Accumulibacter, and a glycogen-accumulating organism, Competibacter. Acetate uptake by both Accumulibacter and Competibacter was driven by a proton motive force (PMF). Stored polymers were used to generate the PMF -Accumulibacter used phosphate efflux through the Pit transporter, while Competibacter generated a PMF by proton efflux through the ATPase and fumarate reductase in the reductive TCA cycle.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Wastewater Management Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: Amanda N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Mabbett
authors.forename: Alastair G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: McEwan
authors.forename: Linda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Blackall
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D001692:Biological Transport; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D011122:Polyphosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D018892:Proton-Motive Force
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D011108:Polymers; D011122:Polyphosphates