Glycosphingolipids as a possible signature of microbial communities in activated sludge and the potential contribution of fungi to wastewater treatment under cold conditions.
Seven strains of fungi were isolated from activated sludge and identified as Mucor sp., Geotrichum sp., Trichosporon sp., Candida sp., and Trichoderma sp. by 28S rDNA D2 region sequences analysis. The structures of the main ceramide monosaccharides (CMSs) from these fungi were identified as glucosylceramide (GlcCer) consisting of ceramide moieties of 9-methyl-octadeca-sphingadienine (9-Me d18:2), with 2-hydroxyhexadecanoate (h16:0) (Mucor sp. and Geotrichum sp.), 2-hydroxyoctadecanoate (h18:0) (Trichosporon sp. and Candida sp.), and 2-hydroxyoctadecenoate (h18:1) (Trichoderma sp.). Seasonal changes in glycosphingolipids in activated sludge suggest the possibility that microbial flora in activated sludge changes with the seasons, and that fungi adaptable to low temperatures dominate in the cold period, resulting in the maintenance of stable effluent quality. Mucor sp., Geotrichum sp., and Candida sp. satisfactorily reduced the BOD of synthetic sewage at 10 degrees C. These results indicate that fungi in activated sludge can contribute to wastewater treatment in cold conditions.
Tsuge
Junichi
J
The United Graduate School of Agriculture Sciences, Iwate University, Iwate, Japan.
Hiratsuka
Hiroko
H
Kamimiya
Hisashi
H
Nozaki
Hirofumi
H
Kushi
Yasunori
Y
D003080:Cold Temperature; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D009089:Mucor / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012621:Seasons; D012722:Sewage; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid
D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D012722:Sewage