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Desulfovibrio-Methanococcus Syntrophic Consortium

Community ID CommunityMech:000023
Ecological State STABLE
Environment sulfate-free anaerobic environment
ENVO:01001405

A syntrophic, obligate two-member anaerobic consortium consisting of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, which oxidizes lactate to acetate, H2, and CO2 in the absence of sulfate, and Methanococcus maripaludis S2, a hydrogenotrophic methanogen. D. vulgaris can reduce sulfate when available, but in sulfate-free environments it must grow syntrophically by coupling lactate oxidation to interspecies hydrogen transfer. M. maripaludis consumes the H2 and CO2 produced by D. vulgaris to produce methane, maintaining the low H2 partial pressure thermodynamically required for continued lactate oxidation. This syntrophic relationship is fundamental to understanding microbial metabolism in sulfate-depleted anaerobic environments and represents a classic model system for studying syntrophic electron transfer mechanisms.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough NCBITaxon:882
PRIMARY_DEGRADER SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
N/A
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "In this study, comparative transcriptional analysis of a model sulfate-reducing microbe, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, suggested the use of alternative electron transfer systems dependent on growth modality"
Methanococcus maripaludis S2 NCBITaxon:267377
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
N/A
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "In this study, comparative transcriptional analysis of a model sulfate-reducing microbe, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, suggested the use of alternative electron transfer systems dependent on growth modality"

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interaction network for Desulfovibrio-Methanococcus Syntrophic Consortium Bipartite graph where circle nodes represent taxa and colored rectangles represent ecological interactions (cross-feeding, mutualism, syntrophy, competition, commensalism).
Taxon
Cross-feeding
Mutualism
Syntrophy
Competition
Commensalism
Niche partitioning
Colonization facilitation
Strain competition
Predation

Lactate Oxidation and H2 Production

SYNTROPHY

Source Taxon: Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough

Metabolites: lactate (CHEBI:24996), acetate (CHEBI:30089), dihydrogen (CHEBI:18276), carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526)

Biological Processes:

Downstream Effects:
→ Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer and Methanogenesis

Evidence

  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Additionally, a predicted operon containing genes involved in lactate transport and oxidation exhibited upregulation, further suggesting an alternative pathway for electrons derived from lactate oxidation during syntrophic growth"
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "During syntrophic growth on lactate with a hydrogenotrophic methanogen, numerous genes involved in electron transfer and energy generation were upregu"

Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer and Methanogenesis

SYNTROPHY

Source Taxon: Methanococcus maripaludis S2

Metabolites: dihydrogen (CHEBI:18276), carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526), methane (CHEBI:16183)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Interspecies hydrogen transfer between organisms producing and consuming hydrogen promotes the decomposition of organic matter in most anoxic environments"
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Interspecies hydrogen transfer between organisms producing and consuming hydrogen promotes the decomposition of organic matter in most anoxic environments"

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Anaerobic Conditions Strict anaerobic N/A
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Although syntrophic coupling between hydrogen producers and consumers is a major feature of the carbon cycle, mechanisms for energy recovery at the extremely low free energies of reactions typical of these anaerobic communities have not been established"
Sulfate Absence Sulfate-free medium N/A
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "vulgaris compared with their expression in sulfate-limited monocultures"
Hydrogen Partial Pressure Must be maintained at low levels N/A
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "During syntrophic growth on lactate with a hydrogenotrophic methanogen, numerous genes involved in electron transfer and energy generation were upregulated in D"
Dilution Rate 0.039 h^-1 per hour
  • PMID:19581361 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "These results demonstrate that syntrophic growth and sulfate respiration use largely independent energy generation pathways and imply that to understand microbial processes that sustain nutrient cycling, lifestyles not captured in pure culture must be considered."

Growth Media

Anaerobic bicarbonate-buffered mineral medium for syntrophic lactate oxidation (CultureMech:000423)

View in CultureMech →

pH 7.0
Temperature 37 degrees Celsius
Atmosphere ANAEROBIC

Composition

Component Concentration Unit CHEBI
Lactate (sodium salt) 20 mM CHEBI:78320
Sodium bicarbonate 30 mM CHEBI:32139
Ammonium chloride 20 mM CHEBI:31206
Sodium phosphate buffer 2.8 mM CHEBI:37585
Potassium phosphate buffer 3.5 mM CHEBI:131527
Magnesium chloride 1 mM CHEBI:6636
Calcium chloride 0.5 mM CHEBI:3312
Sodium sulfide 1 mM CHEBI:87157
L-Cysteine hydrochloride 1 mM CHEBI:32447
Resazurin 0.5 mg/L CHEBI:48953
Trace element solution SL-10 1 mL/L N/A
Vitamin solution 1 mL/L N/A
Yeast extract 0.5 g/L N/A
KNO3 0.25 G_PER_L N/A
KH2PO4 0.1 G_PER_L N/A
MgSO4 x 7 H2O 0.05 G_PER_L N/A
CaCl2 x 2 H2O 0.01 G_PER_L N/A
EDTA 5 G_PER_L N/A
CuCl2 x 5 H2O 0.1 G_PER_L N/A
FeSO4 x 7 H2O 2 G_PER_L N/A
ZnSO4 x 7 H2O 0.1 G_PER_L N/A
NiCl2 x 6 H2O 0.02 G_PER_L N/A
CoCl2 x 6 H2O 0.2 G_PER_L N/A
Na2MoO4 0.03 G_PER_L N/A
MnCl2 x 4 H2O 0.03 G_PER_L N/A

Preparation notes: Medium prepared under strict anaerobic conditions using modified Hungate technique. Boiled and cooled under N2/CO2, dispensed anaerobically into serum bottles, sealed with butyl rubber stoppers, and autoclaved. Reducing agents added from sterile anaerobic stock solutions after autoclaving. Final pH adjusted to 7.0. Resazurin indicator used to monitor anaerobiosis (colorless when reduced).

Evidence

PMID:19581361

"During syntrophic growth on lactate with a hydrogenotrophic methanogen, numerous genes involved in electron transfer and energy generation were upregulated in D"