Prokaryotic viruses impact functional microorganisms in nutrient removal and carbon cycle in wastewater treatment plants

Chen, Yiqiang; Wang, Yulin; Paez-Espino, David; Polz, Martin F.; Zhang, Tong

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-25678-1

Title: Prokaryotic viruses impact functional microorganisms in nutrient removal and carbon cycle in wastewater treatment plants

Journal Article · 13 September 2021 · Nature Communications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25678-1 · OSTI ID:1904092

Chen, Yiqiang ^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[4];

^[2]

University of Hong Kong (China); OSTI
University of Hong Kong (China)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Joint Genome Institute (JGI)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); University of Vienna (Austria)

As one of the largest biotechnological applications, activated sludge (AS) systems in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) harbor enormous viruses, with 10-1,000-fold higher concentrations than in natural environments. However, the compositional variation and host-connections of AS viruses remain poorly explored. Here, we report a catalogue of ~50,000 prokaryotic viruses from six WWTPs, increasing the number of described viral species of AS by 23-fold, and showing the very high viral diversity which is largely unknown (98.4-99.6% of total viral contigs). Most viral genera are represented in more than one AS system with 53 identified across all. Viral infection widely spans 8 archaeal and 58 bacterial phyla, linking viruses with aerobic/anaerobic heterotrophs, and other functional microorganisms controlling nitrogen/phosphorous removal. Notably, Mycobacterium, notorious for causing AS foaming, is associated with 402 viral genera. Our findings expand the current AS virus catalogue and provide reference for the phage treatment to control undesired microorganisms in WWTPs.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Joint Genome Institute (JGI)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; Hong Kong TRS; University of Hong Kong

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1904092

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 12; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Additional file 2 of The microbial dark matter and “wanted list” in worldwide wastewater treatment plants Zhang, Yulin; Wang, Yulin; Tang, Mingxi figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22622114.v1	dataset	January 2023
Additional file 2 of Presence and role of viruses in anaerobic digestion of food waste under environmental variability Fan, Lu; Peng, Wei; Duan, Haowen figshare https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23849546.v1	dataset	January 2023

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