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Syntrophomonas-Methanospirillum Syntrophic Consortium

Community ID CommunityMech:000070
Ecological State STABLE
Environment anaerobic digester
ENVO:01001405

A syntrophic, obligate two-member anaerobic consortium consisting of Syntrophomonas wolfei, which β-oxidizes saturated fatty acids (butyrate through octanoate) to acetate, and Methanospirillum hungatei, a hydrogen-utilizing methanogen. S. wolfei degrades butyrate only in coculture with H2-using bacteria, as it uses protons as the electron acceptor with H2 as the electron sink product. The removal of H2 by M. hungatei is thermodynamically essential for continued fatty acid oxidation by S. wolfei. This classic syntrophic relationship is fundamental to understanding methane production from fatty acids in anaerobic environments such as digesters, sediments, and the rumen.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Syntrophomonas wolfei NCBITaxon:863
PRIMARY_DEGRADER SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
N/A
  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Three strains of the bacterium were characterized and are described as a new genus and species, Syntrophomonas wolfei"
Methanospirillum hungatei NCBITaxon:2203
SYNTROPHIC_PARTNER
N/A
  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "wolfei with Desulfovibrio and Methanospirillum hungatei is 54 and 84 h, respectively"

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interaction network for Syntrophomonas-Methanospirillum 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

Butyrate Oxidation and H2 Production

SYNTROPHY

Source Taxon: Syntrophomonas wolfei

Metabolites: butyrate (CHEBI:17968), acetate (CHEBI:30089), dihydrogen (CHEBI:18276)

Biological Processes:

Downstream Effects:
→ Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer and Methanogenesis

Evidence

  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "The addition of H(2) to the medium stopped growth and butyrate degradation by S"
  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "An anaerobic, nonphototrophic bacterium that beta-oxidizes saturated fatty acids (butyrate through octanoate) to acetate or acetate and propionate usi"

Interspecies Hydrogen Transfer and Methanogenesis

SYNTROPHY

Source Taxon: Methanospirillum hungatei

Metabolites: dihydrogen (CHEBI:18276), methane (CHEBI:16183)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Common electron acceptors are not utilized with butyrate as the electron donor"
  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Common electron acceptors are not utilized with butyrate as the electron donor"

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Anaerobic Conditions Strict anaerobic N/A
  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "An anaerobic, nonphototrophic bacterium that beta-oxidizes saturated fatty acids (butyrate through octanoate) to acetate or acetate and propionate using protons as the electron acceptor (H(2) as electron sink product) was isolated in coculture with either a non-fatty acid-degrading, H(2)-utilizing Desulfovibrio sp. or methanogens"
Hydrogen Partial Pressure Must be maintained below 10^-4 atm N/A
  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "The addition of H(2) to the medium stopped growth and butyrate degradation by S"
Generation Time 84 hours hours
  • PMID:16345745 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "The most rapid generation time obtained by cocultures of S"

Growth Media

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

View in CultureMech →

pH 7.2
Temperature 37 degrees Celsius
Atmosphere ANAEROBIC

Composition

Component Concentration Unit CHEBI
Butyrate (sodium salt) 10 mM CHEBI:88613
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 1.2 mM CHEBI:87157
L-Cysteine hydrochloride 1.2 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 0.2 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. Medium boiled and cooled under N2/CO2 atmosphere, dispensed anaerobically into serum bottles, sealed with butyl rubber stoppers, and autoclaved. Reducing agents (Na2S and cysteine) added from sterile anaerobic stock solutions after autoclaving. Final pH adjusted to 7.2. Resazurin used as redox indicator (colorless when reduced). Growth requires strict anaerobic conditions; addition of H2 gas to headspace inhibits butyrate degradation.

Evidence

PMID:16345745

"Growth and degradation of fatty acids occur only in syntrophic association with H(2)-using bacteria"

PMID:16345745

"The addition of H(2) to the medium stopped growth and butyrate degradation by S"