Effect of cobalt on the anaerobic thermophilic conversion of methanol

Paulo, Paula Loureiro; Jiang, Bo; Cysneiros, Denise; Stams, A.J.M.; Lettinga, G.

doi:10.1002/bit.10876

Cited by 29 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…strain AMP and Methanothermobacter sp. strain NJ1 were isolated from a methanogenic bioreactor operated at 55°C (35). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain AMP was closely related to Moorella thermoacetica and Moorella thermoautotrophica.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Syntrophic Growth on Formate: a New Microbial Niche in Anoxic Environments

Dolfing

Jiang

Henstra

et al. 2008

Appl Environ Microbiol

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100

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Anaerobic syntrophic associations of fermentative bacteria and methanogenic archaea operate at the thermodynamic limits of life. The interspecies transfer of electrons from formate or hydrogen as a substrate for the methanogens is key. Contrary requirements of syntrophs and methanogens for growth-sustaining product and substrate concentrations keep the formate and hydrogen concentrations low and within a narrow range. Since formate is a direct substrate for methanogens, a niche for microorganisms that grow by the conversion of formate to hydrogen plus bicarbonate-or vice versa-may seem unlikely. Here we report experimental evidence for growth on formate by syntrophic communities of (i) Moorella sp. strain AMP in coculture with a thermophilic hydrogen-consuming Methanothermobacter species and of (ii) Desulfovibrio sp. strain G11 in coculture with a mesophilic hydrogen consumer, Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus AZ. In pure culture, neither Moorella sp. strain AMP, nor Desulfovibrio sp. strain G11, nor the methanogens grow on formate alone. These results imply the existence of a previously unrecognized microbial niche in anoxic environments.Much attention is paid to the environmental conditions that limit microbial growth and activity (24,30,31), such as high salt concentrations, high pressure, high and low pHs, high and low temperatures, and combinations thereof (3,11,23,30,32,42). Less attention has been given to the thermodynamic limits of microbial life, although these are the most fundamental limits for any life form (19). These limits are approached in methanogenic environments, where syntrophic associations of anaerobic bacteria and methanogenic archaea obtain energy for growth from catalyzing pathways that operate close to thermodynamic equilibrium (⌬G, ϳ0 kJ/mol) (20, 38). Methanogenic communities are generally schematized as four different functional groups (or guilds) of bacteria and archaea. Primary fermenters convert complex material into substrates for a group of secondary fermenters, also known as syntrophs. The syntrophs obligately depend on two groups of methanogens, one that uses hydrogen and formate and another that uses acetate (9, 38). For thermodynamic reasons, growth of the syntrophs is sustainable only through the removal of their waste products by the methanogens. Hydrogen is the main electron carrier in such syntrophic associations, but formate is important too, especially in associations where electron fluxes are high (5,8,41). It is assumed that formate and hydrogen are in thermodynamic equilibrium (26, 44) (Table 1), but this is not always the case. For instance, measurements in a shallow methanogenic aquifer in Denmark have indicated a potential energy gain of 5 to 10 kJ/mol electrons for the conversion of formate to H 2 and bicarbonate (14). This implies a previously unrecognized niche for organisms that are able to catalyze this reaction. Hydrolytic cleavage of formate to H 2 and bicarbonate has been described before (2, 7, 12, 29), but it has never been shown before that this can be ...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Media and growth conditions were as described previously (21,35). All media used for the coculture studies were without addition of carbon and energy sources other than formate.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Syntrophic Growth on Formate: a New Microbial Niche in Anoxic Environments

Dolfing

Jiang

Henstra

et al. 2008

Appl Environ Microbiol

Self Cite

100

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“…2). The DMT has been most often used for measurement of the free species of various metals in synthetic media [21,37,44], surface water [20], soil solutions [19] and manure [32].…”

Section: Free Cobalt Ion (Co 2? ) Concentrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cobalt, nickel, iron, copper, zinc and manganese are considered as the most important trace metals for methanogens [9,12,32,36]. Especially cobalt was many times reported as a very important micronutrient, as the cobalt-containing cofactors (vitamin B 12 ) play a key role in the methylotrophic methanogenic pathway [10,11,47].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cobalt toxicity in anaerobic granular sludge: influence of chemical speciation

Bartacek

Fermoso

Baldó-Urrutia

et al. 2008

J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol

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The influence of cobalt speciation on the toxicity of cobalt to methylotrophic methanogenesis in anaerobic granular sludge was investigated. The cobalt speciation was studied with three different media that contained varying concentrations of complexing ligands [carbonates, phosphates and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)]. Three fractions (nominal added, dissolved and free) of cobalt were determined in the liquid media and were correlated with data from batch toxicity experiments. The average concentration of cobalt that was required for 50% inhibition of methanogenic activity (IC 50 ) for free Co 2? in the three sets of measurements was 13 lmol/L with a standard deviation of 22% and a similarity of 72% between the data obtained in the three different media for the range of cobalt concentrations investigated. The standard deviation of the IC 50 for the other two fractions was much higher, i.e. 85 and 144% for the added cobalt and dissolved cobalt, respectively, and the similarity was almost 0% for both fractions. Complexation (and precipitation) with EDTA, phosphates and carbonates was shown to decrease the toxicity of cobalt on methylotrophic methanogenesis. The free cobalt concentration is proposed to be the key parameter to correlate with cobalt toxicity. Thus, the toxicity of cobalt to granular sludge can be estimated based on the equilibrium-free cobalt concentration.

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“…Based on the insights obtained, to some extent the excessive spreading of trace elements over the environment can be prevented, while concomitantly the operational cost of AnWT can be reduced. The studies conducted in our department so far particularly have been addressed to the assessment of the effect of trace elements on the anaerobic conversion of i) substrates/wastewaters originating from potato, and ii) of methanol, in the latter case both under mesophilic [65][66][67] and thermophilic conditions [68]. Comprehensive investigations of Florencio et al [65][66][67]69] with methanol, lead to the insight that at low methanol and bicarbonate concentrations, and exceptionally low cobalt-concentration ( < 0.0001 mg/L) methanogens predominate over acidogens in the methanol conversion.…”

Section: Mixing Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges of a feasible route towards sustainability in environmental protection

Lettinga

2010

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. China

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Anaerobic processes for treatment of low and high strength wastewaters and solid wastes constitute the core method in the natural biological mineralization (NBM) treatment concept. When adequately combined with the complementary NBM-systems and modern clean water saving practices in wastewater collection and transport, they represent a feasible route to sustainable environmental protection (EP sus ), in essence even towards a more sustainable society. Despite the development and implementation of modern high rate Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment (AnWT-) systems and complementary innovative NBM-processes, the considerable progress made since the seventies in fundamental insights in microbiology, biochemistry and process technology, still numerous challenging improvements in the NBM-field can be realized. This contribution is mainly based on the insights attained from wide ranging literature evaluations and the results of experimental research conducted by numerous PhD students who participated in our group over the last four decades. An attempt is made here to identify major facets on which an improved insight can, and consequently should, be obtained in order to accomplish more optimal operation and design of various types of Anaerobic Degradation (AnDeg-) processes.

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Effect of cobalt on the anaerobic thermophilic conversion of methanol

Cited by 29 publications

References 36 publications

Syntrophic Growth on Formate: a New Microbial Niche in Anoxic Environments

Syntrophic Growth on Formate: a New Microbial Niche in Anoxic Environments

Cobalt toxicity in anaerobic granular sludge: influence of chemical speciation

Challenges of a feasible route towards sustainability in environmental protection

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