Synergistic interactions in core microbiome Rhizobiales accelerate 1,4-dioxane biodegradation

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Bioremediation
• Microbial ecology

Background:

• Next-generation sequencing (NGS) advances microbial identification in pollutant degradation.
• Identifying core microbiomes and their interactions in polluted environments is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• Isolate and characterize microbial consortia for 1,4-dioxane degradation.
• Identify the core degrading microbiome and its key members.
• Investigate microbial interactions facilitating pollutant degradation.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of microbial consortia (MA-S, Cl-G) using 1,4-dioxane.
• Next-generation sequencing (NGS) for taxa identification.
• Co-occurrence network analysis and gene abundance analysis (PobA, HpaB, ADH, ALDH).
• Whole-genome sequencing and RNA-seq of key degraders.
• Co-cultivation experiments.

Main Results:

• Proteobacteria, particularly Rhizobiales (>90%), formed the core degrading microbiome across degradation cycles.
• Synergistic interactions within Rhizobiales, especially Shinella and Xanthobacter, enhanced 1,4-dioxane degradation.
• Enrichment of Rhizobiales correlated with increased abundance of key degradation genes (PobA, HpaB, ADH, ALDH).
• Shinella yambaruensis was identified as a key degrader, with its genome revealing relevant degradation pathway genes.
• Co-cultivation confirmed synergistic interactions between Shinella sp. and Xanthobacter sp.

Conclusions:

• Rhizobiales constitutes the core microbiome for 1,4-dioxane degradation.
• Synergistic interactions within Shinella and Xanthobacter are crucial for efficient bioremediation.
• Integrating core microbiome principles into engineered consortia can optimize 1,4-dioxane bioremediation.