Phenol Carboxylation Consortium

Community ID CommunityMech:000053

Ecological State STABLE

Environment anaerobic environment
ENVO:00002229

An obligate syntrophic 4-member consortium for anaerobic degradation of phenol via carboxylation to benzoate. The consortium consists of a short motile rod, a long non-motile rod, Desulfovibrio sp., and Methanospirillum sp. (methanogen). Under methanogenic conditions (N2/CO2), phenol is carboxylated to benzoate, which is then degraded to acetate, CH4, and CO2. The three bacterial types exhibit obligate syntrophic interdependence with the methanogen for complete aromatic pollutant mineralization.

Taxonomy

Taxon	Ontology ID	Functional Roles	Abundance
Short motile rod bacterium	NCBITaxon:2	PRIMARY_DEGRADER	DOMINANT
Long non-motile rod bacterium	NCBITaxon:2	PRIMARY_DEGRADER	DOMINANT
Desulfovibrio sp.	NCBITaxon:885	SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER	RARE
Methanospirillum sp.	NCBITaxon:45200	SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER	ABUNDANT

Ecological Interactions

Taxon

Cross-feeding

Mutualism

Syntrophy

Competition

Commensalism

Phenol Carboxylation to Benzoate

SYNTROPHY

Source Taxon: Short motile rod bacterium

Target Taxon: Long non-motile rod bacterium

Metabolites: phenol (CHEBI:15882), benzoate (CHEBI:30746), carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526)

Biological Processes:

phenol-containing compound catabolic process (GO:0018958)
aromatic compound catabolic process (GO:0019439)

Downstream Effects:

→ Benzoate Degradation to Acetate and Methane

Evidence

PMID:18281436 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)

"When 4-hydroxybenzoate was used as the substrate, phenol (maximum, 20 microM) and benzoate (maximum, 92 microM) were detected as intermediates, which were then further degraded to acetate and methane by the coculture"

Benzoate Degradation to Acetate and Methane

SYNTROPHY

Source Taxon: Methanospirillum sp.

Metabolites: benzoate (CHEBI:30746), acetate (CHEBI:30089), methane (CHEBI:16183), carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526)

Biological Processes:

benzoate metabolic process (GO:0018874)
methane biosynthetic process (GO:0015948)

Evidence

PMID:18281436 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)

"When 4-hydroxybenzoate was used as the substrate, phenol (maximum, 20 microM) and benzoate (maximum, 92 microM) were detected as intermediates, which were then further degraded to acetate and methane by the coculture"

Sulfate Reduction Contribution to Syntrophy

SYNTROPHY

Source Taxon: Desulfovibrio sp.

Target Taxon: Methanospirillum sp.

Metabolites: dihydrogen (CHEBI:18276)

Biological Processes:

oxidation-reduction process (GO:0055114)

Evidence

PMID:18281436 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)

"This isolate is the first tangible, obligately anaerobic, syntrophic substrate-degrading organism capable of oxidizing phenol in association with an H(2)-scavenging methanogen partner"

Environmental Factors

Factor	Value	Unit
Gas phase	N2/CO2	N/A
Syntrophic dependence	obligate	N/A
Substrate	phenol (aromatic pollutant)	N/A