Marine Dehalogenator and Its Chaperones: Microbial Duties and Responses in 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol Dechlorination

Mechanistic insights into substituent-induced hydrolytic debromination and electron flow of bromophenols under nitrate-reducing conditions

Exogenous electron acceptors, such as nitrate, hold great potential for the bioremediation of wastewater contaminated with bromophenols (BPs). However, research into the mechanisms underlying BPs biodegradation remains in its early stages, particularly regarding the molecular structure and bioremediation performance. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms involved in BPs within a nitrate-reducing system, focusing on the molecular structure of BPs. Therefore, three up-flow bioreactors were operated for 187 days, achieving removal efficiencies of 100 %, 90.4 ± 0.6 % and 50.2 ± 2.8 % for ortho-bromophenol (2-BP), para-bromophenol (4-BP) and meta-bromophenol (3-BP), respectively. Hydrolytic dehalogenase (LinB) was found to play a critical role in BP metabolism. Molecular docking and density functional theory calculations revealed that the geometric structure and electronic effects of the Br-substituent significantly influenced LinB activity and BP reactivity, thereby affecting removal efficiencies. Notably, 2-BP, with a shorter orientation distance, was more readily catalyzed by LinB, as evidenced by metagenomic analyses showing significant increases in the abundance of N-transforming and BP-degrading genes. Furthermore, 2-BP and 4-BP stimulated more robust microbial responses, including dehalogenation (Thauera), denitrification (Delftia), and electron transport (Xanthomonadales). These results provide valuable insights into the environmental fate of BPs at the molecular level and how the Br-substituent influences microbial metabolism.

How Pseudomonas conducts reductive dechlorination of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol: Insights into metabolic performance and organohalide respiration process

Organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) play a key role in facilitating the detoxification of halogenated organics, but their slow growth and harsh growth conditions often limit their application in field remediation. In this study, we investigated the metabolic performance and organohalide respiration process of a non-obligate OHRB, Pseudomonas sp. CP-1, demonstrating favorable anaerobic reductive dechlorination ability of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol to 4-chlorophenol with a removal rate constant (k) of 0.46 d-1. Due to its facultative anaerobic nature, strain CP-1 exhibited unique metabolic properties. In aerobic conditions, strain CP-1 preferentially utilized oxygen for rapid proliferation, and anaerobic reductive dechlorination was initiated once the oxygen was depleted. The aerobic proliferation facilitated the subsequent reductive dechlorination process. Through multi-tool analysis, a modified tricarboxylic acid cycle was proposed to be linked to organohalide respiration when acetate served as the sole carbon source. A predictive model for the electron transport chain (ETC) for reductive dechlorination was constructed, with complex Ⅰ, complex Ⅱ, ubiquinone, complex Fix (flavoprotein), and reductive dehalogenase (RDase) as the major components. A specific RDase facilitating reductive dechlorination was identified. It shared a 64.35 % amino acid similarity with biochemically characterized RDases and was designated CprA-2. Its ortho-dechlorination catalytic process was proposed through molecular docking. The discovery of highly adaptable Pseudomonas with favorable dechlorination activity and the elucidation of its metabolic properties provide valuable insights into the understanding of non-obligate OHRBs and their application regulation.

Complete 2,4,6-trichlorophenol degradation by anaerobic sludge acclimated with 4-chlorophenol: Synergetic effect of nZVI@BMPC and sodium lactate as an external nutrient

Ball-milled plastic char supported nano zero-valent iron (nZVI@BMPC) and their application combined with anaerobic sludge for microbial dechlorination of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) were investigated. The XRD and FTIR analysis proved composition of zero valent states of iron, and the BET and SEM analysis showed that nZVI was uniformly distributed on the surface of BMPC. Successive addition of 1000 mg/L sodium lactate and nZVI@BMPC enhanced the acclamation of anaerobic sludge and resulted in the degradation of 4-CP within 80 days. The acclimated consortium with nZVI@BMPC completely degraded 2,4,6-TCP into CH4 and CO2, and the key dechlorination route was through 4-CP dechlorinaion and mineralization. The degradation rate of 2,4,6-TCP with nZVI@BMPC was 0.22/d, greater than that without nZVI@BMPC. The dechlorination efficiency was enhanced in the Fe2+/Fe3+ system controlled by nZVI@BMPC and iron-reducing bacteria. Metagenomic analysis result showed that the dominant de-chlorinators were Chloroflexi sp., Desulfovibrio, and Pseudomonas, which could directly degrade 2,4,6-TCP to 4-CP, especially, Chloroflexi bacterium could concurrently be used to mineralize 4-CP. The relative abundance of the functional genes cprA, acoA, acoB, and tfdB increased significantly in the presence of the nZVI@BMPC. This study provides a new strategy can be a good alternative for possible application in groundwater remediation.

Global prevalence of organohalide-respiring bacteria dechlorinating polychlorinated biphenyls in sewage sludge

BACKGROUND

Massive amounts of sewage sludge are generated during biological sewage treatment and are commonly subjected to anaerobic digestion, land application, and landfill disposal. Concurrently, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are frequently found in sludge treatment and disposal systems, posing significant risks to both human health and wildlife. Metabolically versatile microorganisms originating from sewage sludge are inevitably introduced to sludge treatment and disposal systems, potentially affecting the fate of POPs. However, there is currently a dearth of comprehensive assessments regarding the capability of sewage sludge microbiota from geographically disparate regions to attenuate POPs and the underpinning microbiomes.

RESULTS

Here we report the global prevalence of organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) known for their capacity to attenuate POPs in sewage sludge, with an occurrence frequency of ~50% in the investigated samples (605 of 1186). Subsequent laboratory tests revealed microbial reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), one of the most notorious categories of POPs, in 80 out of 84 sludge microcosms via various pathways. Most chlorines were removed from the para- and meta-positions of PCBs; nevertheless, ortho-dechlorination of PCBs also occurred widely, although to lower extents. Abundances of several well-characterized OHRB genera (Dehalococcoides, Dehalogenimonas, and Dehalobacter) and uncultivated Dehalococcoidia lineages increased during incubation and were positively correlated with PCB dechlorination, suggesting their involvement in dechlorinating PCBs. The previously identified PCB reductive dehalogenase (RDase) genes pcbA4 and pcbA5 tended to coexist in most sludge microcosms, but the low ratios of these RDase genes to OHRB abundance also indicated the existence of currently undescribed RDases in sewage sludge. Microbial community analyses revealed a positive correlation between biodiversity and PCB dechlorination activity although there was an apparent threshold of community co-occurrence network complexity beyond which dechlorination activity decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings that sludge microbiota exhibited nearly ubiquitous dechlorination of PCBs indicate widespread and nonnegligible impacts of sludge microbiota on the fate of POPs in sludge treatment and disposal systems. The existence of diverse OHRB also suggests sewage sludge as an alternative source to obtain POP-attenuating consortia and calls for further exploration of OHRB populations in sewage sludge. Video Abstract.

Biomolecular insights into the inhibition of heavy metals on reductive dechlorination of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in Pseudomonas sp. CP-1

Influences of heavy metal exposure to the organohalide respiration process and the related molecular mechanism remain poorly understood. In this study, a non-obligate organohalide respiring bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. strain CP-1, was isolated and its molecular response to the five types of commonly existed heavy metal ions were thoroughly investigated. All types of heavy metal ions posed inhibitory effects on 2,4,6-trichlorophenol dechlorination activity and cell growth with the varied degree. Exposure to Cu (II) showed the most serious inhibitive effects on dechlorination even at the lowest concentration of 0.05 mg/L, while the inhibition by As (V) was the least with the removal kinetic constant k decreased to 0.05 under 50 mg/L. Further, multi-omics analysis found compared with Cu (II), As (V) exposure led to the insignificant downregulation of a variety of biosynthesis processes, which would be one possible account for the less inhibited activity. More importantly, the inhibited mechanisms on the organohalide respiration catabolism of strain CP-1 were firstly revealed. Cu (II) stress severely downregulated NADH generation during TCA cycle and electron donation of organohalide respiration process, which might decrease the reducing power required for organohalide respiration. While both Cu (II) and As (Ⅴ) inhibited substrate level phosphorylation during TCA cycle, as well as electron transfer and ATP generation during organohalide respiration. Meanwhile, CprA-2 was confirmed as the responsible reductive dehalogenase in charge of 2,4,6-TCP dechlorination, and transcriptional and proteomic studies confirmed the directly inhibited gene transcription and expression of CprA-2. The in-depth reveal of inhibitory effects and mechanism gave theoretical supports for alleviating heavy metal inhibition on organohalide respiration activity in groundwater co-contaminated with organohalides and heavy metals.