title: Design and composition of synthetic fungal-bacterial microbial consortia that improve lignocellulolytic enzyme activity.
abstract: Microbial interactions are important for metabolism as they can improve or reduce metabolic efficiency. To improve lignocellulolytic enzyme activity, a series of synergistic microbial consortia of increasing diversity and complexity were devised using fungal strains, including Trichoderma reesei, Penicillium decumbens, Aspergillus tubingensis, and Aspergillus niger. However, when a screened microbial community with cellulolytic capacity was added to the consortia to increase the number of strains, it engendered more microbial interactions with the above strains and universally improved the β-glucosidase activity of the consortia. Analysis of the microbial community structure revealed that the bacteria in the consortia are more important for lignocellulolytic enzyme activity than the fungi. One fungal and 16 bacterial genera in the consortia may interact with T. reesei and are potential members of a devised synergistic microbial consortium. Such devised microbial consortia may potentially be applied to effectively and economically degrade lignocellulose.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
authors.forename: Jiajun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
authors.forename: Yiyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
authors.forename: Hongcheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China. Electronic address: mtgao@shu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Min-Tian
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 20110, China.
authors.forename: Jixiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 20110, China.
authors.forename: Shiping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yiu Fai
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tsang
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D044602:Cellulases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D057075:Enzyme Assays; D005658:Fungi / Q000378:metabolism*; D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism*; D059013:Microbial Consortia; D056265:Microbial Interactions
chemical_list: C036909:lignocellulose; D002482:Cellulose; D008031:Lignin; D044602:Cellulases
keywords: Bacteria; Fungi; Lignocellulolytic enzymes production; Microbial interaction; Synergistic microbial consortia