Effects of differing temperature management on development of Actinobacteria populations during composting.
Actinobacteria are believed to play a major role in organic matter degradation and humification processes in composts. In this study, the effects of different temperature regimes on the succession of Actinobacteria populations during composting were investigated in a laboratory reactor. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) was used to investigate quantitative changes in the overall microbial biomass and community structure, and in the size of Actinobacteria populations. Qualitative changes were determined using PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes with Actinobacteria-specific primers. The peak in total microbial biomass was roughly twice as high and delayed in trials where the maximum temperature was 40 degrees C, compared to those where it was 55 or 67 degrees C. There was a shift from members of Corynebacterium, Rhodococcus and Streptomyces at the onset to species of thermotolerant Actinobacteria in the cooling phase, e.g. Saccharomonospora viridis, Thermobifida fusca and Thermobispora bispora. In conclusion, temperature was an important selective factor for the development of Actinobacteria populations in composts, and they constituted a substantial part of the community in the later compost stages.
Department of Microbiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7025, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. kristin.steger@ebc.uu.se
Kristin
K
Steger
Asa
A
Jarvis
Tuija
T
Vasara
Martin
M
Romantschuk
Ingvar
I
Sundh
D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D001483:Base Sequence; D018533:Biomass; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000379:methods; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012987:Soil; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013696:Temperature
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D010743:Phospholipids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012987:Soil