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Metagenomic analysis of two enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) sludge communities

Metagenomic analysis of two enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) sludge communities Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is one of the best-studied microbially mediated industrial processes because of its ecological and economic relevance. Despite this, it is not well understood at the metabolic level. Here we present a metagenomic analysis of two lab-scale EBPR sludges dominated by the uncultured bacterium, “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis.” The analysis sheds light on several controversies in EBPR metabolic models and provides hypotheses explaining the dominance of A. phosphatis in this habitat, its lifestyle outside EBPR and probable cultivation requirements. Comparison of the same species from different EBPR sludges highlights recent evolutionary dynamics in the A. phosphatis genome that could be linked to mechanisms for environmental adaptation. In spite of an apparent lack of phylogenetic overlap in the flanking communities of the two sludges studied, common functional themes were found, at least one of them complementary to the inferred metabolism of the dominant organism. The present study provides a much needed blueprint for a systems-level understanding of EBPR and illustrates that metagenomics enables detailed, often novel, insights into even well-studied biological systems. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nature Biotechnology Springer Journals

Metagenomic analysis of two enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) sludge communities

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References (66)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 by Nature Publishing Group
Subject
Life Sciences; Life Sciences, general; Biotechnology; Biomedicine, general; Agriculture; Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology; Bioinformatics
ISSN
1087-0156
eISSN
1546-1696
DOI
10.1038/nbt1247
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is one of the best-studied microbially mediated industrial processes because of its ecological and economic relevance. Despite this, it is not well understood at the metabolic level. Here we present a metagenomic analysis of two lab-scale EBPR sludges dominated by the uncultured bacterium, “Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis.” The analysis sheds light on several controversies in EBPR metabolic models and provides hypotheses explaining the dominance of A. phosphatis in this habitat, its lifestyle outside EBPR and probable cultivation requirements. Comparison of the same species from different EBPR sludges highlights recent evolutionary dynamics in the A. phosphatis genome that could be linked to mechanisms for environmental adaptation. In spite of an apparent lack of phylogenetic overlap in the flanking communities of the two sludges studied, common functional themes were found, at least one of them complementary to the inferred metabolism of the dominant organism. The present study provides a much needed blueprint for a systems-level understanding of EBPR and illustrates that metagenomics enables detailed, often novel, insights into even well-studied biological systems.

Journal

Nature Biotechnology – Springer Journals

Published: Sep 24, 2006

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