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Phormidium Alkaline Consortium

Ecological State STABLE
Environment soda lake
ENVO:00000274
Source File Phormidium_Alkaline_Consortium.yaml

A natural cyanobacterial-heterotrophic consortium dominated by Candidatus Phormidium alkaliphilum, isolated from soda lakes. This consortium represents a robust, stable community optimized for carbon sequestration in high-pH environments (pH >11). The community includes 8-12 core members with 29 identified heterotrophic metagenome-assembled genomes spanning Bacteroidota, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Verrucomicrobiota, Patescibacteria, and Planctomycetota. The consortium demonstrated exceptional stability with 4 years of crash-free growth in laboratory culture, maintaining biomass productivity of 15.2 g/m²/day. Ecological interactions include carbon transfer from cyanobacteria to heterotrophs, nutrient remineralization, vitamin provision (B12, B1, B7), and functional niche partitioning that enhances community robustness. The consortium enables direct CO2 capture from air at alkaline pH, making it highly relevant for biotechnological carbon sequestration applications. Stable isotope probing with ¹³C-bicarbonate revealed tight coupling of carbon flux from primary production to heterotrophic populations, particularly Wenzhouxiangella species.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Candidatus Phormidium alkaliphilum NCBITaxon:1807132
PRIMARY_PRODUCER
DOMINANT
Wenzhouxiangella sp. NCBITaxon:1979961
CROSS_FEEDER SECONDARY_FERMENTER
ABUNDANT
Bacteroidota members NCBITaxon:976
PRIMARY_DEGRADER SECONDARY_FERMENTER
COMMON
Alphaproteobacteria members NCBITaxon:28211
CROSS_FEEDER SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
COMMON
Verrucomicrobiota members NCBITaxon:74201
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
COMMON
Planctomycetota members NCBITaxon:203682
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
COMMON

Ecological Interactions

Photosynthetic CO2 Fixation

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Candidatus Phormidium alkaliphilum

Metabolites: carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526), dissolved organic matter (CHEBI:50860)

Biological Processes:

Downstream Effects:
→ Carbon Transfer to Heterotrophs

Evidence

  • doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.780346 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Genome-resolved metaproteomics with stable isotope probing using 13 C-bicarbonate (protein/SIP) showed tight coupling of carbon transfer from cyanobacteria to the heterotrophic populations, specially Wenzhouxiangella"

Carbon Transfer to Heterotrophs

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Candidatus Phormidium alkaliphilum

Metabolites: formate (CHEBI:15740), acetate (CHEBI:30089), lactate (CHEBI:24996), ethanol (CHEBI:16236), dihydrogen (CHEBI:18276)

Biological Processes:

  • organic substance catabolic process (GO:1901575)
Downstream Effects:
→ Nutrient Remineralization

Evidence

  • doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.780346 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Genome-resolved metaproteomics with stable isotope probing using 13 C-bicarbonate (protein/SIP) showed tight coupling of carbon transfer from cyanobacteria to the heterotrophic populations, specially Wenzhouxiangella"

Nutrient Remineralization

MUTUALISM

Metabolites: inorganic nutrient (CHEBI:33284)

Biological Processes:

Downstream Effects:
→ Vitamin and Cofactor Exchange

Evidence

  • doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.780346 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Genome-resolved metaproteomics with stable isotope probing using 13 C-bicarbonate (protein/SIP) showed tight coupling of carbon transfer from cyanobacteria to the heterotrophic populations, specially Wenzhouxiangella"

Vitamin and Cofactor Exchange

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: Bacteroidota members

Metabolites: cobalamin (CHEBI:30411), thiamine (CHEBI:18385), biotin (CHEBI:15956)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.780346 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Use of cyanobacterial consortium increases biodiversity, which provides functional redundancy and prevents invading species from disrupting the production ecosystem"

Oxidative Stress Reduction

MUTUALISM

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.780346 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Genome-resolved metaproteomics with stable isotope probing using 13 C-bicarbonate (protein/SIP) showed tight coupling of carbon transfer from cyanobacteria to the heterotrophic populations, specially Wenzhouxiangella"

Polysaccharide Degradation

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Planctomycetota members

Metabolites: polysaccharide (CHEBI:18154)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.780346 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Genome-resolved metaproteomics with stable isotope probing using 13 C-bicarbonate (protein/SIP) showed tight coupling of carbon transfer from cyanobacteria to the heterotrophic populations, specially Wenzhouxiangella"

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Alkaline pH >11 pH units
Stable Growth Duration 4 years years
Light Cycle 16:8 hours light:dark hours
Temperature ~25 °C
Biomass Productivity 15.2 ± 1.0 g/m²/day
Community Robustness Mechanisms Niche partitioning and functional redundancy N/A