Protein Content In Extracellular Polymeric Substances Research Articles

Impacts of exogenous C6-HSL on the enhanced cometabolic removal of sulfadiazine by enriched nitrifying sludge

The antibiotics in the wastewater could be effectively removed by the cometabolism of nitrifying sludge mediated by ammonia monooxygenase (AMO). The effects of quorum sensing (QS) system regulated by N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) on the performance and functional microorganisms in wastewater treatment have also been increasingly reported, yet few studies report the impacts of AHLs on the cometabolic removal of antibiotics by nitrifying bacteria. In this study, N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) and sulfadiazine (SDZ) were selected, and a series of batch tests were implemented to study the cometabolic degradation of SDZ by enriched nitrifying sludge and the responses of the sludge under different concentrations of exogenous C6-HSL (0.1, 0.5 and 1 μM). The results indicated C6-HSL enhanced the cometabolic removal of SDZ by nitrifying sludge, with the highest removal efficiency of 84.60 % achieved with 1 μM C6-HSL. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) increased by 50.8 %–139.5 %，and a positive correlation between the increase of protein content in EPS and the concentration of C6-HSL was established. C6-HSL also brought an increase in cellular adenosine triphosphate content, which increased by 51.8 % with 1 μM C6-HSL. Moreover, C6-HSL up-regulated the amoA gene and enhanced AMO activity, which led to the sufficient degradation of SDZ.

Investigating meat-borne bacterial profiles related to biofilm formation: An in situ and in vitro assessment

Foodborne spoilage bacteria may pose a serious risk to food quality by forming biofilms that adhere to food processing devices and food surfaces, thus causing cross-contamination and deterioration of food products. In order to effectively control microbial contamination, understanding the bacterial profiles related to biofilm formation in situ is crucial. Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and Serratia are typically considered as prevalent spoilage organisms in chilled meat, which is particularly susceptible to deterioration during storage and transportation. In this study, four strains (Serratia liquefaciens F5, Aeromonas salmonicida H8, Pseudomonas saponiphila G7, and Aeromonas veronii G8) were cultured in situ in chilled chicken claws as the experimental group and in Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB) as the control group. The results showed that tested strains differed in ability to adhere, with S. liquefaciens F5 significantly exhibiting the highest biofilm formation capacity (P < 0.05). Moreover, it was discovered that higher protein and polysaccharides concentrations enhanced bacterial auto-aggregation and that the protein content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) positively correlated with bacterial surface hydrophobicity. On the 4th day, the protein content in EPS of each strain was significantly higher in vitro than in situ (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the rate of increase in auto-aggregation capacity and surface hydrophobicity proved faster in vitro than in situ for each strain due to higher polysaccharides and protein contents. The primary components (proteins, polysaccharides) in the EPS of the four strains increased as the biofilm formation process progressed, further confirmed by Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectra. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that A. salmonicida H8 can create biofilms on the surface of chicken claws, which severely disrupts the tissue structure of chilled meat. These observations will offer a theoretical foundation for a thorough investigation of the spoiling outcomes and adhesion characteristics of various meat-derived spoilage bacteria.

Effects of voltage and pressure on sludge electro-dewatering process and the dewatering mechanisms investigation

Electro-dewatering technology shows a good application prospect because of its high efficiency in removing water from sludge and low energy consumption, but the potential mechanisms of sludge electro-dewatering have not been investigated in depth, which seriously limits the further development and application of electro-dewatering technology. In this study, the effects of voltage and pressure on sludge electro-dewatering performance, physicochemical characteristics and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) compositions and distributions were investigated. The spatial distributions of EPS main components, including polysaccharide (PS) and protein (PN), were characterized by a confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The experimental results showed that under the conditions of a voltage of 40 V and a pressure of 90 kPa, the moisture content of sludge was reduced from 83.15% to 53.12%, and the bound water content of sludge in the anode layer, middle layer and cathode layer were decreased significantly from 1.16 g/g dry solid (DS) to 0.20, 0.47 and 0.35 g/g DS, respectively. The PN content of EPS in anode layer was significantly lower than that in cathode layer due to the electrochemical oxidation, while the variation of PS content showed the opposite trend, which agreed with the results visualized by CLSM. Pearson's correlation coefficient and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that PN in TB-EPS was the major factor influencing the effect of sludge electro-dewatering. This work can be helpful to understand the potential mechanisms of electro-dewatering and provide theoretical support for the further popularization and application of electro-dewatering technology.

Effects of Four Kinds of Oxide Nanoparticles on Proteins in Extracellular Polymeric Substances of Sludge.

Proteins are the most important component in sludge extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and play a crucial role in the formation of sludge flocs, adsorption performance of sludge, and flocculation ability of sludge. This research is aimed at exploring the changes in proteins in EPS extracted from concentrated sludge after various nanoparticle (NP) treatments. The results showed that the protein content in EPS decreased by 40% after nanoalumina (Al2O3 NPs) treatment but increased at varying degrees after nanoferric oxide (Fe3O4 NPs), nanozinc oxide (ZnO NPs), and nanotitanium dioxide (TiO2 NPs) treatments. The four kinds of nanoparticles not only affected the protein content in EPS but also influenced the types and structures of proteins. The results of three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the tyrosine-like protein content in soluble EPS (SEPS) decreased after treatments with four kinds of NPs. Infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that the absorption intensity of amide I and amide II weakened after Al2O3 NP treatment, whereas that of amide I enhanced after Fe3O4 NP, ZnO NP, and TiO2 NP treatments. Further analysis of the secondary structure of proteins in the infrared range of 1700–1600 cm−1 demonstrated that the value of α-helix/(β-sheet+random coil) decreased from 0.513 to 0.383 in SEPS after TiO2 NP treatment. For the samples treated by Fe3O4 NPs, the percentage of α-helix significantly increased and that of β-sheet slightly decreased in proteins from SEPS and loosely bound EPS.

Enhancing Chlorobenzene Biodegradation by Delftia tsuruhatensis Using a Water-Silicone Oil Biphasic System.

In this study, a water–silicone oil biphasic system was developed to enhance the biodegradation of monochlorobenzene (CB) by Delftia tsuruhatensis LW26. Compared to the single phase, the biphasic system with a suitable silicone oil fraction (v/v) of 20% allowed a 2.5-fold increase in the maximum tolerated CB concentration. The CB inhibition on D. tsuruhatensis LW26 was reduced in the presence of silicone oil, and the electron transport system activity was maintained at high levels even under high CB stress. Adhesion of cells to the water–oil interface at the water side was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Nearly 75% of cells accumulated on the interface, implying that another interfacial substrate uptake pathway prevailed besides that initiated by cells in the aqueous phase. The 8-fold increase in cell surface hydrophobicity upon the addition of 20% (v/v) silicone oil showed that silicone oil modified the surface characteristics of D. tsuruhatensis LW26. The protein/polysaccharide ratio of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from D. tsuruhatensis LW26 presented a 3-fold enhancement. These results suggested that silicone oil induced the increase in the protein content of EPS and rendered cells hydrophobic. The resulting hydrophobic cells could adhere on the water–oil interface, improving the mass transfer by direct CB uptake from silicone oil.

Formation, extracellular polymeric substances, and structural stability of aerobic granules enhanced by granular activated carbon.

Granular activated carbon (GAC) has been proved to accelerate the formation of aerobic granules during wastewater treatment. However, there has never been a study on the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) or structural stability of the GAC aerobic granules. Thus, this study evaluated the impact of GAC on these characteristics. With GAC addition, granules matured 12days earlier than those of the control group. Scanning electron microscopy showed the surface of aerobic granules enhanced by GAC to be denser and smoother than the surface of control granules, which could be the first line of defense against external selection pressure. After granules matured, there was no difference in contamination removal between the two types of granules. The protein content in EPS of GAC aerobic granules was higher than that of the control group; however, there was no difference in the polysaccharide content. EPS fluorescence in situ staining demonstrated that inside the aerobic granules, a high concentration of protein encapsulated the GAC. In addition, integrity coefficients indicated that GAC significantly improved the ability of aerobic granules to resist hydraulic shear. The result of hydrolase treatment proved that the outer layer structure of the GAC aerobic granules was maintained by β-polysaccharide, and the inner layer structure was maintained by protein. The ability of GAC-enhanced aerobic granules to resist single hydrolase was stronger than that of the control group.

Effects of metabolic uncouplers on excess sludge reduction and microbial products of activated sludge

The present study investigated the influences of three metabolic uncouplers (pCP, oCP and oNP) on excess activated sludge reduction and microbial products of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and intracellular storage product (polyhydroxybutyrate, PHB) in short-term tests. Results showed sludge was reduced 58.2%, 59.8% and 80.8%, respectively, at pCP, oCP and oNP concentrations of 20mg/L. The dosage of three uncouplers had no obviously influences on COD removal and sludge settleability, but had significant inhibition effect on ammonia removal, especially for oNP. Low concentration of pCP and oNP (5mg/L) dosing resulted in protein and polysaccharide content increased in EPS, however, they were decreased at high pCP and oNP concentrations (>5mg/L). To oCP, the protein content in EPS was increased linearly with oCP concentration. Furthermore, metabolic uncouplers addition stimulated the production of PHB. Among three uncouplers, oCP could be an alternative uncoupler for sludge reduction in activated sludge process.

The stability of aerobic granular sludge under 4-chloroaniline shock in a sequential air-lift bioreactor (SABR)

The aerobic granular sludge technology has a great potential in treatment of municipal wastewater and industrial wastewater containing toxic non-degradable pollutants. However, the formation and structural stability of aerobic granular sludge is susceptible to toxic shock. In the study, the effect of 4-chloroaniline (4-ClA) as a common toxic pollutant on the granular structure and performance was investigated, and the mechanism was revealed to provide more information on 4-ClA degradation with aerobic granular sludge process. The results showed that a 4-ClA shock at influent 200 mg L(-1) could cause the disintegration of aerobic granular sludge and decrease of the pollutant removal performance. The analysis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) within the mature and disintegrated granular sludge showed that the decrease of protein content in EPS, especially the components like Amide I 3-turn helix and β-sheet structures and aspartate, was not good for the stability of aerobic granular sludge. The microbial community results demonstrated that the disappearance of dominant bacteria like Kineosphaera limosa or appearance like Acinetobacter, might contribute to the reduction of EPS and disintegration of aerobic granular sludge.

Influence of Thermal Extraction of Extracellular Polymeric Substances on Cell Integrity in Activated Sludge and Membrane Bioreactor Samples

The influence of the soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) heating extraction method on cell viability was evaluated for each phase of the protocol using epifluorescence microscopy. In addition, the effect of different centrifugation conditions (2700 g at 24 degrees C; 12,000 g at 4 degrees C) was also tested. Sludge samples were collected from a conventional wastewater treatment and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant fed in parallel. Results show that different centrifugation parameters do not induce cell membrane damaging. Heating significantly influences membrane integrity; for instance, 75 to 90% of initial viable cells are damaged during this phase, possibly leading to the predominance of protein compared to carbohydrate content. The protein content in EPS is 60 to 88 mg bovine serum albumin/ g volatile suspended solids (VSS); higher values observed in MBR sludge samples are probably attributable to the different characteristics of microbial flocs and process operating parameters. Carbohydrate concentrations are not significantly different regardless of applied procedure and sludge type, and are between 10.4 to 11.6 mg glucose/g VSS.