Microbial Interactions Drive the Complete Catabolism of the Antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole in Activated Sludge Microbiomes

Microbial communities are believed to outperform monocultures in the complete catabolism of organic pollutants via reduced metabolic burden and increased robustness to environmental challenges; however, the interaction mechanism in functional microbiomes remains poorly understood. Here, three functionally differentiated activated sludge microbiomes (S1: complete catabolism of sulfamethoxazole (SMX); S2: complete catabolism of the phenyl part of SMX ([phenyl]-SMX) with stable accumulation of its heterocyclic product 3-amino-S-methylisoxazole (3ASMI); A: complete catabolism of 3ASMI rather than [phenyl]SMX) were enriched. Combining time-series cultivation-independent microbial community analysis, DNA-stable isotope probing, molecular ecological network analysis, and cultivation-dependent function verification, we identified key players involved in the SMX degradation process. Paenarthrobacter and Nocardioides were primary degraders for the initial cleavage of the sulfonamide functional group (-C-S-N- bond) and 3ASMI degradation, respectively. Complete catabolism of SMX was achieved by their cross-feeding. The co-culture of Nocardioides, Acidovorax, and Sphingobium demonstrated that the nondegraders Acidovorax and Sphingobium were involved in the enhancement of 3ASMI degradation. Moreover, we unraveled the internal labor division patterns and connections among the active members centered on the two primary degraders. Overall, the proposed methodology is promisingly applicable and would help generate mechanistic, predictive, and operational understanding of the collaborative biodegradation of various contaminants. This study provides useful information for synthetic activated sludge microbiomes with optimized environmental functions.

Automated summary

The study identified key players involved in the degradation of organic pollutants by differentiating functional activated sludge microbiomes. Primary degraders Paenarthrobacter and Nocardioides were found to play essential roles in the complete catabolism of sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The research also revealed the internal labor division patterns and connections among active members in collaborative biodegradation, providing insights for synthetic activated sludge microbiomes with optimized environmental functions.