Eukaryotic molecular diversity at different steps of the wastewater treatment plant process reveals more phylogenetic novel lineages.
Wastewater microbiota represents important actors of organic depollution. Nowadays, some species used as bioindicators of the effluent quality are still identified by microscopy. In the present study, we investigated eukaryotic diversity at the different steps of the treatment process of a wastewater treatment plant (aerobic, anaerobic, clarifier basins and anaerobic digester) using the 18S rRNA gene sequencing approach. Of the 1519 analysed sequences, we identified 160 operational taxonomic units. Interestingly, 56.9% of the phylotypes were assigned to novel phylogenetic molecular species since they show <97% sequence identity with their nearest affiliated representative within public databases. Peritrichia ciliates were the most predominant group, with Epistylis as the most common genus. Although anaerobic, the digester appears to harbor many unclassified phylotypes of protozoa species. Novel lineages such as LKM11 and LKM118 were widely represented in the digester. Diversity values given by Shannon indexes show that the clarifier is the most diversified. This work will help designing molecular tools that are fast, reliable, and reproducible for monitoring wastewater depollution and studying phylogenetic relationships among the wonderful world of protists within this anthropogenic ecosystem.
Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, UR11ES32 Toxicologie Végétale et Biologie Moléculaire des Micro-organismes, Université de Carthage, Zarzouna, 7021, Bizerte, Tunisia. rakia.chouari@yahoo.fr.
Rakia
R
Chouari
IBCI: Institut de Biologie Cellulaire Intégrative, UMR 9198, CEA-CNRS-UPSud, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 409, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France.
Marie
M
Leonard
Laboratoire d'Analyses, Traitement et Valorisation des Polluants de l'Environnement et des Produits, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Monastir, Rue Avicenne, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia.
Moez
M
Bouali
Faculté des Sciences de Gafsa, Université de Gafsa, Campus Universitaire Sidi Ahmed Zarrouk, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia.
Sonda
S
Guermazi
Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne, 2 Rue Gaston Crémieux, Evry, France.
Naima
N
Rahli
Technopole de Borj Cedria, CERTE, BP 273, 8020, Soliman, Hammam Lif, Tunisia.
Ines
I
Zrafi
IBCI: Institut de Biologie Cellulaire Intégrative, UMR 9198, CEA-CNRS-UPSud, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 409, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France.
Loïc
L
Morin
Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne, 2 Rue Gaston Crémieux, Evry, France.|Laboratoire de métagénomique des procaryotes, CEA-Genoscope, 2 Rue Gaston Crémieux, Evry, France.|CNRS-UMR 8030, 2 Rue Gaston Crémieux, Evry, France.
Abdelghani
A
Sghir
D056893:Alveolata / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D044822:Biodiversity; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology*; D018508:Water Purification
D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater
18S rRNA gene; Activated sludge; Ciliates; Cryptomycota; LKM118; Wastewater microbiota