Impact of aluminum chloride on process performance and microbial community structure of granular sludge in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for natural rubber processing wastewater treatment.

In this study, granular sludge formation was carried out using an aluminum chloride supplement in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating natural rubber processing wastewater. Results show that during the first 75 days after the start-up of the UASB reactor with an organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.65 kg-COD·m(-3)·day(-1), it performed stably with a removal of 90% of the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and sludge still remained in small dispersed flocs. However, after aluminum chloride was added at a concentration of 300 mg·L(-1) and the OLR range was increased up to 5.32 kg-COD·m(-3)·day(-1), the total COD removal efficiency rose to 96.5 ± 2.6%, with a methane recovery rate of 84.9 ± 13.4%, and the flocs began to form granules. Massively parallel 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the sludge retained in the UASB reactor showed that total sequence reads of Methanosaeta sp. and Methanosarcina sp., reported to be the key organisms for granulation, increased after 311 days of operation. This indicates that the microbial community structure of the retained sludge in the UASB reactor at the end of the experiment gave a good account of itself in not only COD removal, but also granule formation.

Characterization of Latex-Clearing Protein and Aldehyde Dehydrogenases Involved in the Utilization of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) by Nocardia farcinica NBRC 15532

Microbial degradation of natural rubber and synthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) is expected to become an alternative treatment system for waste from poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) products including scrap tires. Nocardia farcinica NBRC 15,532, a gram-positive rubber-degrading bacterium, can utilize poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) as the sole source of carbon and energy to produce oligo-isoprene metabolites containing aldehyde and keto end groups. A homology-based search of the genome revealed a gene encoding a latex-clearing protein (Lcp). Gene disruption analysis indicated that this gene is essential for the utilization of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) in this strain. Further analysis of the genome sequence identified aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) genes as potential candidates for oxidative degradation of oligo-isoprene aldehydes. Based on the enzymatic activity of the ALDH candidates, NF2_RS14000 and NF2_RS14385 may be involved in the degradation of oligo-isoprene aldehydes. Analysis of the reaction products revealed that these ALDHs oxidized tri- to penta-isoprene aldehydes, which were generated by the reaction of Lcp. Based on the inability of ALDH gene deletion mutants, we concluded that NF2_RS14000 is mainly involved in the utilization of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) and the oxidative degradation of oligo-isoprene aldehydes in Nocardia farcinica NBRC 15,532.

Identification and transcriptional analysis of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) degradation gene in Rhodococcus sp. strain RDE2.

The microbial degradation of synthetic and natural poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) rubber is expected to become an alternative treatment technique for waste from poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) products, such as scrap tires. A gram-positive rubber-degrading bacterium, Rhodococcus sp. strain RDE2, was isolated from the waste of a rubber-processing factory in Vietnam. This strain grew on natural rubber as a sole source of carbon and energy and produced oligo-isoprenoid metabolites containing aldehyde groups from poly(cis-1,4-isoprene). To identify the genes responsible for poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) degradation, the complete genome sequence of this strain was determined. The complete genome sequence consists of a 5,715,406 bp chromosome and 6 plasmids (GenBank accession numbers AP025186.1 to AP025192.1) with an average GC content of 67.9%. The genome contains 5358 protein-coding sequences and 12 and 68 copies of rRNA and tRNA genes, respectively. Based on genome sequence analysis, the lcp gene (RDE2_08,770), responsible for the initial step of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) degradation, was identified. The gene product obtained from Escherichia coli depolymerizes poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) to low-molecular-weight oligo-isoprenoids. The transcription of this gene is activated during the utilization of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) in strain RDE2. The lcpR gene (RDE2_08,760), which encodes a putative transcriptional regulator, is located upstream of lcp. The lcpR gene product recognizes the promoter region of lcp. When the lcpR gene is deleted, the constitutive transcription of lcp is observed. Thus, it is inferred that the LcpR negatively regulates lcp transcription. These results strongly suggest that the lcp and lcpR genes are involved in poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) utilization in strain RDE2.

Characterization and functional expression of a rubber degradation gene of a Nocardia degrader from a rubber-processing factory.

A rubber-degrading bacterial consortium named H2DA was obtained from an enrichment culture with natural rubber latex and rubber-processing factory waste in Vietnam. Gel permeation chromatography analysis revealed that only the strain NVL3 degraded synthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) into low-molecular-weight intermediates among the three strains found in the H2DA. The 16S-rRNA gene sequence of NVL3 showed the highest identity with that of Nocardia farcinica DSM 43665T. NVL3 accumulated aldehyde intermediates from synthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) on a rubber-overlay plate as indicated by Schiff's staining. NVL3 also degraded deproteinized natural rubber into low-molecular-weight aldehyde intermediates. A latex-clearing protein (lcp) gene ortholog was identified within the genome sequence of NVL3, and it showed a moderate amino-acid identity (54-75%) with the lcp genes from previously reported rubber degraders. The heterologous expression of the NVL3 lcp in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) allowed us to purify the 46.8-kDa His-tagged lcp gene product (His-Lcp). His-Lcp degraded synthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) and accumulated aldehyde intermediates from deproteinized natural rubber suggesting the functional expression of the lcp gene from a Nocardia degrader in E. coli. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis indicated the strong transcriptional induction of the lcp gene in NVL3 in the presence of synthetic poly(cis-1,4-isoprene). These results suggest the involvement of the lcp gene in rubber degradation in NVL3.

Effect of chemical factors on integrated fungal fermentation of sugarcane bagasse for ethanol production by a white-rot fungus, Phlebia sp. MG-60.

Bioethanol production through integrated fungal fermentation (IFF), involving a unified process for biological delignification with consolidated biological processing by the white-rot fungus Phlebia sp. MG-60, was applied to sugarcane bagasse. Initial moisture content of the bagasse was found to affect biological delignification by MG-60, and 75% moisture content was suitable for selective lignin degradation and subsequent ethanol production. Additives, such as basal media, organic compounds, or minerals, also affected biological delignification of bagasse by MG-60. Basal medium addition improved both delignification and ethanol production. Some inorganic chemical factors, such as Fe(2+), Mn(2+), or Cu(2+), reduced bagasse carbohydrate degradation by MG-60 during delignifying incubations and resulted in increased ethanol production. The present results indicated that suitable culture conditions could significantly improve IFF efficiency.