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Clostridium-E. coli-Nitratidesulfovibrio Minority-Mediator Consortium

Community ID CommunityMech:000333
Ecological State ENGINEERED
Environment anaerobic glucose-yeast extract laboratory consortium
ENVO:01001405

A defined anaerobic three-strain consortium containing Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824, Escherichia coli DH10B, and Nitratidesulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough NCIMB 8303. In glucose-yeast extract medium, the minority N. vulgaris population persists as a physical and metabolic mediator, reduces E. coli-associated inhibition of C. acetobutylicum growth, and can exchange cytoplasmic material with both other members.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 NCBITaxon:272562
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
N/A
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "We obtained anaerobic strict strains N. vulgaris Hildenborough from NCIMB 8303 and C. acetobutylicum ATCC824"
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "C. acetobutylicum fully utilized the glucose, producing lactate, acetate, butyrate and hydrogen"
Escherichia coli DH10B NCBITaxon:316385 N/A
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "the facultative anaerobic strain Escherichia coli DH10B"
Nitratidesulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough NCIMB 8303 NCBITaxon:882
CROSS_FEEDER SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
N/A
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "We obtained anaerobic strict strains N. vulgaris Hildenborough from NCIMB 8303"
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "N. vulgaris emerges as an unexpected mediator and protector"

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interaction network for Clostridium-E. coli-Nitratidesulfovibrio Minority-Mediator Consortium Bipartite graph where circle nodes represent taxa and each ecological interaction is drawn as a distinct non-circular symbol, with colour repeating the same distinction (cross-feeding, competition).
Taxon
Cross-feeding
Competition

Minority-member mediation of community interactions

CROSS_FEEDING

Evidence

  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Confocal microscopy confirmed that N. vulgaris exchanges cytoplasmic material with both C. acetobutylicum and E. coli bidirectionally, suggesting its role as a mediator in the consortium."
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Thus, N. vulgaris may function as a shuttle between E. coli and C. acetobutylicum."

E. coli-associated inhibition of C. acetobutylicum

COMPETITION

Source Taxon: Escherichia coli DH10B

Target Taxon: Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824

Evidence

  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "The results indicate that E. coli engages in passive competition with C. acetobutylicum"
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "the presence of N. vulgaris could prevent the inhibition of C. acetobutylicum growth by E. coli"

E. coli-to-Clostridium lactate cross-feeding

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Escherichia coli DH10B

Target Taxon: Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824

Metabolites: lactate (CHEBI:24996)

Evidence

  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "the utilization of lactate by C. acetobutylicum is observed in both conditions, i.e., in the consortia C. acetobutylicum E. coli and C. acetobutylicum in E. coli's supernatant"

External Resources

Name Repository Resource ID
Primary publication - minority mediator synthetic consortium
Open-access primary study of the exact three-strain consortium and its physical and metabolic interactions. 		OTHER PMID:41684672
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "N. vulgaris emerges as an unexpected mediator and protector, reshaping the relationship between E. coli and C. acetobutylicum."

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Initial member ratio 3661 N/A
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "with two or three strains to constitute an artificial consortium in a 1:1 or 1:1:1 ratio according to the absorbance at 600 nm"
Minority-member growth protection C. acetobutylicum doubling time 5.5 h in the three-member consortium versus 9 h with E. coli alone N/A
  • PMID:41684672 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "doubling time of 5.5 h) vs. μmax = 0.06 ± 4.2 × 10−3 OD.h−1 (doubling time of 9 h"

Growth Media

Glucose-yeast extract medium

Temperature 37 degrees Celsius
Atmosphere ANAEROBIC

Composition

Component Concentration Unit CHEBI
glucose 14 mmol/L CHEBI:17634
yeast extract 0.1 percent N/A

Preparation notes: The medium used Starkey-like inorganic nutrients, with MgCl2 replacing MgSO4; cultures contained 10 mL and were incubated without shaking.

Evidence

PMID:41684672

"The growth medium (glucose-yeast extract (GY) medium) used for studying monocultures and co-cultures was prepared with glucose (14 mmol.L-1) and 0.1% yeast extract"

PMID:41684672

"All monocultures and co-cultures were carried out in anaerobic conditions in Hungates tubes with 10 mL of GY medium as describe above and incubated at 37 C without shaking."