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A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities

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Published on: December 25, 2015

Enzyme activities in activated sludge flocs.

Guang-Hui Yu¹, Pin-Jing He, Li-Ming Shao

¹State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

|October 13, 2007

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Enzyme activities in sludge flocs were analyzed. Protease activity was mainly in pellets, while alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase were in loosely bound extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), indicating varied hydrolysis patterns.

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Area of Science:

Environmental microbiology
Biochemistry

Background:

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play a crucial role in sludge floc structure and microbial activity.
Understanding enzyme localization within sludge is vital for wastewater treatment processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify enzyme activities within different sludge fractions, specifically extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and pellets.
To investigate the distribution of protease, alpha-amylase, and alpha-glucosidase activities in loosely bound (LB) and tightly bound (TB) EPS.

Main Methods:

Seven extraction schemes were employed to isolate EPS from aerobic sludge flocs.
EPS fractions were categorized into loosely bound (LB) and tightly bound (TB).
Enzyme activity assays were performed on extracted EPS and pellet fractions. Ultrasonication was used for effective EPS extraction.

Main Results:

Protease activity was predominantly found in the sludge pellets.
Alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase activities were mainly associated with the LB-EPS fraction.
Minimal protease, alpha-amylase, or alpha-glucosidase activities were detected in the TB-EPS fraction.
No correlation was observed between EPS biochemical composition and enzyme activity distribution.

Conclusions:

The localization of enzymes within sludge flocs is heterogeneous.
LB-EPS fraction is a significant site for alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase activity, suggesting its role in carbohydrate hydrolysis.
The findings highlight complex hydrolysis patterns involving proteins and carbohydrates within sludge flocs.