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Multi‐stage chemostat investigation of interspecies interactions in a hexanoate‐catabolizing microbial association isolated from anoxic landfill
Author(s) -
Coutts D. A. P.,
Senior E.,
Balba M. T. M.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1987.tb02406.x
Subject(s) - chemostat , anoxic waters , dilution , methanogenesis , chemistry , catabolism , environmental chemistry , ecology , biochemistry , biology , metabolism , bacteria , methane , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , genetics , physics
Spatial separations of physico‐chemical environments (habitat domains) with maintenance of overlapping zones of influence (activity domains) with multi‐stage chemostat models were used to facilitate examination of interspecies interactions within a hexanoate‐catabolizing microbial association isolated from anoxic landfill. Under a constant dilution rate regime, in the presence of 1.4 and 5 mmol/l influent sulphate, consolidation of the major metabolic events of hexanoate catabolism, sulphate reduction, acetogenesis and methanogenesis took place in the first vessel of a five‐vessel array suggesting considerable overlap of activity domains or localization around the habitat domains. Evidence of partial competitive displacement was not apparent until 10 mmol/l of sulphate was used. Introduction of a non‐constant dilution rate regime to a three‐vessel model, subjected to an influent sulphate concentration of 1.4 mmol/l, effected the displacement of the methanogenic species and, as a consequence, in the presence of sulphate limitation, CO 2 reduction became the major sink for excess electrons generated from hexanoate oxidation. A hypothetical scheme of anaerobic hexanoate catabolism by the interacting microbial association was developed.