Ecological factors affecting toluene biosynthesis from bacterial communities

Jian Kang; Bing Hong; Shutan Ma; Jiangping Wu; Zhi Yang; Xiaoyu Fan; Luyi Shao; Kun Sun; Juan Zhao; Hua Fang; Ting Wu

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178186

Ecological factors affecting toluene biosynthesis from bacterial communities

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Dec 20:959:178186. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178186. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jian Kang¹, Bing Hong², Shutan Ma³, Jiangping Wu³, Zhi Yang¹, Xiaoyu Fan¹, Luyi Shao¹, Kun Sun⁴, Juan Zhao³, Hua Fang³, Ting Wu⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China.
² School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China; Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water and Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China; Center of Cooperative Innovation for Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang City Belt, Wuhu 241000, China. Electronic address: bhong@ahnu.edu.cn.
³ School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China; Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water and Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China; Center of Cooperative Innovation for Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang City Belt, Wuhu 241000, China.
⁴ Wuhu Institute of Technology, Wuhu 241006, China.
⁵ School of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China; Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Water and Soil Pollution Control and Remediation, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China; Center of Cooperative Innovation for Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang City Belt, Wuhu 241000, China. Electronic address: wuting19@mail.ahnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 39708473
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178186

Abstract

As a highly emitted volatile organic compound, toluene significantly contributes to atmospheric pollution and poses high risks to human health. Its anthropogenic source is well understood, while its biosynthesis remains poorly understood, especially by bacterial communities. This research attempted to reveal the temporal changes of bacterial community structure during toluene biosynthesis and identify key bacterial factors using 16S rRNA sequencing gene and machine learning methods. The results showed that toluene biosynthesis by the bacterial consortium nonlinearly increased with phenylacetic acid concentration with the optimal temperature of 25-30 °C and pH of 7-7.5. Diversity and richness of the bacterial communities increased over time, as well as the abundance and composition of phyla (e.g. Bacteroidota and Synergistota), families (e.g. Acidaminococcaceae and Oscillospiraceae), species (e.g. Bacteroides and Parabacteroides), and functional genes (e.g. phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism). They were significantly related to toluene biosynthesis, of which the Shannon and Simpson indices and the abundances of Synergistaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Spirochaetaceae species and functional genes related to metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and alanine aspartate and glutamate metabolism were identified as key factors. Findings of this study contributed to new understandings of the underlying mechanisms of toluene biosynthesis by the bacterial community.

Keywords: Bacterial community; Ecological factors; Machine learning; Toluene biosynthesis.