Effects of Sulfate Reduction on Trichloroethene Dechlorination by Dehalococcoides-Containing Microbial Communities.
In order to elucidate interactions between sulfate reduction and dechlorination, we systematically evaluated the effects of different concentrations of sulfate and sulfide on reductive dechlorination by isolates, constructed consortia, and enrichments containingDehalococcoidessp. Sulfate (up to 5 mM) did not inhibit the growth or metabolism of pure cultures of the dechlorinatorDehalococcoides mccartyi195, the sulfate reducerDesulfovibrio vulgarisHildenborough, or the syntrophSyntrophomonas wolfeiIn contrast, sulfide at 5 mM exhibited inhibitory effects on growth of the sulfate reducer and the syntroph, as well as on both dechlorination and growth rates ofD. mccartyiTranscriptomic analysis ofD. mccartyi195 revealed that genes encoding ATP synthase, biosynthesis, and Hym hydrogenase were downregulated during sulfide inhibition, whereas genes encoding metal-containing enzymes involved in energy metabolism were upregulated even though the activity of those enzymes (hydrogenases) was inhibited. When the electron acceptor (trichloroethene) was limiting and an electron donor (lactate) was provided in excess to cocultures and enrichments, high sulfate concentrations (5 mM) inhibited reductive dechlorination due to the toxicity of generated sulfide. The initial cell ratio of sulfate reducers toD. mccartyi(1:3, 1:1, or 3:1) did not affect the dechlorination performance in the presence of sulfate (2 and 5 mM). In contrast, under electron donor limitation, dechlorination was not affected by sulfate amendments due to low sulfide production, demonstrating thatD. mccartyican function effectively in anaerobic microbial communities containing moderate sulfate concentrations (5 mM), likely due to its ability to outcompete other hydrogen-consuming bacteria and archaea.IMPORTANCESulfate is common in subsurface environments and has been reported as a cocontaminant with chlorinated solvents at various concentrations. Inconsistent results for the effects of sulfate inhibition on the performance of dechlorination enrichment cultures have been reported in the literature. These inconsistent findings make it difficult to understand potential mechanisms of sulfate inhibition and complicate the interpretation of bioremediation field data. In order to elucidate interactions between sulfate reduction and reductive dechlorination, this study systematically evaluated the effects of different concentrations of sulfate and sulfide on reductive dechlorination by isolates, constructed consortia, and enrichments containingDehalococcoidessp. This study provides a more fundamental understanding of the competition mechanisms between reductive dechlorination byDehalococcoides mccartyiand sulfate reduction during the bioremediation process. It also provides insights on the significance of sulfate concentrations on reductive dechlorination under electron donor/acceptor-limiting conditions duringin situbioremediation applications. For example, at a trichloroethene-contaminated site with a high sulfate concentration, proper slow-releasing electron donors can be selected to generate an electron donor-limiting environment that favors reductive dechlorination and minimizes the sulfide inhibition effect.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
Xinwei
X
Mao
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
Alexandra
A
Polasko
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA alvarez@ce.berkeley.edu.|Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA.
Lisa
L
Alvarez-Cohen
D025181:ATP Synthetase Complexes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D041862:Chloroflexi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D054879:Halogenation; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000378:metabolism*
D013431:Sulfates; D014241:Trichloroethylene; D006859:Hydrogen; D025181:ATP Synthetase Complexes
competition; inhibition; reductive dechlorination; sulfate reduction; sulfide generation