title: Dependence of structure stability and integrity of aerobic granules on ATP and cell communication.
abstract: Aerobic granules are dense and compact microbial aggregates with various bacterial species. Recently, aerobic granulation technology has been extensively explored for treatment of municipal and industrial wastewaters. However, little information is currently available with regard to their structure stability and integrity at levels of energy metabolism and cell communication. In the present study, a typical chemical uncoupler, 3,3',4',5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide with the power to dissipate proton motive force and subsequently inhibit adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation, was used to investigate possible roles of ATP and cell communication in maintaining the structure stability and integrity of aerobic granules. It was found that inhibited ATP synthesis resulted in the reduced production of autoinducer-2 and N-acylhomoserine lactones essential for cell communication, while lowered extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production was also observed. As a consequence, aerobic granules appeared to break up. This study showed that ATP-dependent quorum sensing and EPS were essential for sustaining the structure stability and integrity of aerobic granules.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D054742:Acyl-Butyrolactones / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000332:Aerobiosis; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012458:Salicylanilides / Q000378:metabolism; D014475:Uncoupling Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D054742:Acyl-Butyrolactones; D001704:Biopolymers; D012458:Salicylanilides; D014475:Uncoupling Agents; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; C003390:3,3',4',5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide