A defined mesophilic anaerobic coculture pairing the butyrate-oxidizing syntroph Syntrophomonas wolfei with the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanococcus maripaludis. The system is used to study how a fatty acid-oxidizing bacterium and a methanogen synchronize growth, form syntrophic aggregates, and maintain cell-to-cell attraction during methanogenic butyrate conversion. It is relevant to DOE interests in anaerobic carbon cycling, methane production, syntrophic energy sharing, and engineered bioreactor microbiology.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syntrophomonas wolfei | NCBITaxon:863 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
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N/A |
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| Methanococcus maripaludis | NCBITaxon:39152 · TaxonMech · TraitMech |
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
CROSS_FEEDER
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N/A |
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Ecological Interactions
The graph shows only explicitly linked interaction participants. Community members without an asserted participant link are omitted; membership alone does not imply an interaction.
Syntrophic Butyrate Oxidation and Methanogenesis
SYNTROPHYS. wolfei and M. maripaludis grow syntrophically on butyrate, coupling bacterial oxidation to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. The dependence is for the tested butyrate medium; S. wolfei was separately maintained in pure culture on crotonate.
Source Taxon: Syntrophomonas wolfei
Target Taxon: Methanococcus maripaludis
Metabolites: butyrate (CHEBI:17968 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech), methane (CHEBI:16183 · MediaIngredientMech · CMMMech)
Biological Processes:
- fatty acid beta-oxidation (GO:0006635 · PathwayMech)
- methanogenesis (GO:0015948 · PathwayMech)
DIRECTLY IMPLIED/PARTIAL: syntrophic metabolism supports growth of both partners during the observed convergence of their population ratio. Different starting ratios alter relative growth and lag, but the study does not isolate a molecular feedback controller that enforces the endpoint ratio.
Evidence
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PMID:34603271 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"mesophilic coculture consisting of Syntrophomonas wolfei and Methanococcus maripaludis"
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PMID:34603271 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"S. wolfei could not grow on butyrate alone in the media"
Population Ratio Convergence During Growth
In the mesophilic S. wolfei-M. maripaludis cultures, different starting population ratios converged to around one during growth. This is a community population outcome, not a second directional mutualism interaction or proof that the converged ratio itself accelerates metabolism.
Participating Taxa: Syntrophomonas wolfei, Methanococcus maripaludis
Biological Processes:
- interspecies interaction between organisms (GO:0044419 · PathwayMech)
Evidence
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PMID:34603271 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"the cell ratio of the WM cocultures varied in the early stage but converged at around 1 from day 15 forward for all the three treatments."
Syntrophic Aggregation and Cell-to-Cell Attraction
FISH and SEM showed development of mixed aggregates, while microfluidic loading in either order showed preferential movement toward the other partner. A same-organism control lacked that preference. This supports reciprocal spatial association, not a uniquely directed colonization effect. Ultrasound and shaking reduced methane-production activity without a detectable change in aggregation tendency; causal mediation by aggregation remains unresolved.
Participating Taxa: Syntrophomonas wolfei, Methanococcus maripaludis
Biological Processes:
- interspecies interaction between organisms (GO:0044419 · PathwayMech)
Evidence
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PMID:34603271 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"the second organism preferred moving to the well where the first organism was already located"
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PMID:34603271 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"although the activity of the coculture was influenced by two disturbance treatments, the tendency of microbial aggregation was not."
Knowledge gaps & discussions (1)
KNOWLEDGE_GAP OPEN Does spatial association or the converged population ratio causally enhance syntrophic metabolism?
The former population-ratio-to-metabolism arrow described aggregation rather than its source node and is removed. Initial ratios were experimentally varied; the converged endpoint is not an independently manipulated cause. Reciprocal attraction is supported, but ultrasound and shaking change activity without changing aggregation tendency. The separate nanomaterial study reports acceleration and proposes DIET without a decisive demonstration. No new aggregation-to-metabolism direction is added.
Attaches to: ecological_interactions#Population Ratio Convergence During Growth, ecological_interactions#Syntrophic Aggregation and Cell-to-Cell Attraction
2 evidence item(s)
the tendency of microbial aggregation was not
Aggregation tendency was unchanged despite the disturbance-associated activity change.
Though decisive conclusion can not be made, our study tends to support the possibility of DIET in syntrophic oxidation of butyrate.
The nanomaterial study explicitly qualifies DIET; it is not proof of the carrier mechanism in the unamended coordination assay.
External Resources
| Name | Repository | Resource ID |
|---|---|---|
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Exact-system primary publication - S. wolfei and M. maripaludis growth coordination
Primary publication reporting growth synchronization, aggregation, and cell-to-cell attraction in the S. wolfei and M. maripaludis coculture. |
OTHER | PMID:34603271 |
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Exact-system publication - conductive nanomaterial stimulation
Additional exact-composition publication reporting a defined S. wolfei and M. maripaludis coculture used to test carbon nanotubes and reduced graphene oxide during syntrophic butyrate oxidation. |
OTHER | doi:10.1038/s41598-018-30745-7 |
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DOI landing page - growth coordination publication
DOI landing page for the growth coordination publication. |
OTHER | doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.742531 |
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NCBI Taxonomy - Syntrophomonas wolfei
NCBI Taxonomy record for Syntrophomonas wolfei. |
OTHER | NCBITaxon:863 |
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NCBI Taxonomy - Methanococcus maripaludis
NCBI Taxonomy record for Methanococcus maripaludis. |
OTHER | NCBITaxon:39152 |
Environmental Factors
| Factor | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Anoxic methanogenic context | anoxic environments | N/A |
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| Initial partner ratio | variable syntroph-to-methanogen starting ratios | N/A |
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| Physical disturbance | intermittent ultrasound and constant shaking | N/A |
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Growth Media
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