Sulfate-dependent acetate oxidation under extremely natron-alkaline conditions by syntrophic associations from hypersaline soda lakes.
So far, anaerobic sulfate-dependent acetate oxidation at high pH has only been demonstrated for a low-salt-tolerant syntrophic association of a clostridium 'Candidatus Contubernalis alkalaceticum' and its hydrogenotrophic sulfate-reducing partner Desulfonatronum cooperativum. Anaerobic enrichments at pH 10 inoculated with sediments from hypersaline soda lakes of the Kulunda Steppe (Altai, Russia) demonstrated the possibility of sulfate-dependent acetate oxidation at much higher salt concentrations (up to 3.5 M total Na(+)). The most salt-tolerant purified cultures contained two major components apparently working in syntrophy. The primary acetate-fermenting component was identified as a member of the order Clostridiales forming, together with 'Ca. Contubernalis alkalaceticum', an independent branch within the family Syntrophomonadaceae. A provisional name, 'Ca. Syntrophonatronum acetioxidans', is suggested for the novel haloalkaliphilic clostridium. Two phylotypes of extremely haloalkaliphilic sulfate-reducing bacteria of the genus Desulfonatronospira were identified as sulfate-reducing partners in the acetate-oxidizing cultures under extreme salinity. The dominant phylotype differed from the two species of Desulfonatronospira described so far, whilst a minor component belonged to Desulfonatronum thiodismutans. The results proved that, contrary to previous beliefs, sulfate-dependent acetate oxidation is possible, albeit very slowly, in nearly saturated soda brines.
Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.|Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60-let Octyabrya 7/2, 117811 Moscow, Russia.
Dimitry Y
DY
Sorokin
Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
Ben
B
Abbas
Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60-let Octyabrya 7/2, 117811 Moscow, Russia.
Tatjana P
TP
Tourova
Bioengineering Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
Boris K
BK
Bumazhkin
Bioengineering Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
Tatjana V
TV
Kolganova
Department of Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Gerard
G
Muyzer
D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020564:Deltaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D059013:Microbial Consortia; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012426:Russia; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*
D000085:Acetates; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013431:Sulfates