Two-strain synthetic consortium of an engineered degrader (Pseudomonas putida strain Pp-TE) and a native degrader (Rhodococcus sp. strain RDK17) grown with terephthalic acid (TPA), a primary polyethylene terephthalate (PET) monomer, as the sole carbon and energy source. Although both strains utilize TPA at comparable rates in monoculture, Pp-TE consistently outcompetes RDK17 in batch and multitransfer coculture fermentations. Dominance is driven jointly by exploitative competition for TPA and by interference competition through the Pp-TE type VI secretion system, which impairs RDK17 growth via contact-dependent inhibition. Loss of TPA metabolism in Pp-TE abolishes its dominance, illustrating how interspecies interaction and metabolic capability co-determine consortium structure and overall TPA degradation.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pseudomonas putida strain Pp-TE (engineered) | NCBITaxon:303 |
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
|
N/A |
|
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| Rhodococcus sp. strain RDK17 (native) | NCBITaxon:1827 |
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
|
N/A |
|
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Ecological Interactions
Exploitative competition for terephthalic acid
COMPETITIONSource Taxon: Pseudomonas putida strain Pp-TE (engineered)
Target Taxon: Rhodococcus sp. strain RDK17 (native)
Metabolites: terephthalic acid (TPA) (CHEBI:15702)
Evidence
-
PMID:42324694 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"Pp-TE consistently outcompeted RDK17 in batch and multitransfer coculture fermentations, even when RDK17 was inoculated at a significantly higher initial abundance"
Interference competition via type VI secretion system
COMPETITIONSource Taxon: Pseudomonas putida strain Pp-TE (engineered)
Target Taxon: Rhodococcus sp. strain RDK17 (native)
Evidence
-
PMID:42324694 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"the dominance of Pp-TE was primarily conferred by its type VI secretion system, which impaired the growth of RDK17 via contact-dependent inhibition"