Microbial consortia driving (ligno)cellulose transformation in agricultural woodchip bioreactors

Freshwater ecosystems can be largely affected by neighboring agriculture fields where potential fertilizer nitrate run-off may leach into surrounding water bodies. To counteract this eutrophic driver, farmers in certain areas are utilizing denitrifying woodchip bioreactors (WBRs) in which a consortium of microorganisms convert the nitrate into nitrogen gases in anoxia, fueled by the degradation of lignocellulose. Polysaccharide-degrading strategies have been well described for various aerobic and anaerobic systems, including the use of carbohydrate-active enzymes, utilization of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and other redox enzymes, as well as the use of cellulosomes and polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). However, for denitrifying microorganisms, the lignocellulose-degrading strategies remain largely unknown. Here, we have applied a combination of enrichment techniques, gas measurements, multi-omics approaches, and amplicon sequencing of fungal ITS and procaryotic 16S rRNA genes to identify microbial drivers for lignocellulose transformation in woodchip bioreactors and their active enzymes. Our findings highlight a microbial community enriched for (ligno)cellulose-degrading denitrifiers with key players from the taxa Giesbergeria, Cellulomonas, Azonexus, and UBA5070 (Fibrobacterota). A wide substrate specificity is observed among the many expressed carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) including PULs from Bacteroidetes. This suggests a broad degradation of lignocellulose subfractions, including enzymes with auxiliary activities whose functionality is still puzzling under strict anaerobic conditions.

Freshwater ecosystems face significant threats from agricultural runoff, which can lead to eutrophication and subsequent degradation of water quality. One solution to mitigate this issue is using denitrifying woodchip bioreactors (WBRs), where microorganisms convert nitrate into nitrogen gases utilizing lignocellulose as a carbon source. Despite the well-documented polysaccharide-degrading strategies in various systems, the mechanisms employed by denitrifying microorganisms in WBRs remain largely unexplored. This study fills a critical knowledge gap by revealing the degrading strategies of denitrifying microbial communities in WBRs. By integrating state-of-the-art techniques, we have identified key microbial drivers including Giesbergeria, Cellulomonas, Azonexus, and UBA5070 (Fibrobacterota) playing significant roles in lignocellulose transformation and showcasing a broad substrate specificity and complex metabolic capability. Our findings advance the understanding of microbial ecology in WBRs and by revealing the enzymatic activities, this research may inform efforts to improve water quality, protect aquatic ecosystems, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from WBRs.