Cellulolytic and Xylanolytic Microbial Communities Associated With Lignocellulose-Rich Wheat Straw Degradation in Anaerobic Digestion

Mads Borgbjerg Jensen, Nadieh de Jonge, Maja Duus Dolriis, Caroline Kragelund, Christian Holst Fischer, Martin Eskesen, Karoline Westen Noer, Henrik Bjarne Møller, Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen, Jeppe Lund Nielsen, Michael Vedel Wegener Kofoed*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic polymers is generally considered the rate-limiting step to methane production in anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass. The present study aimed to investigate how the hydrolytic microbial communities of three different types of anaerobic digesters adapted to lignocellulose-rich wheat straw in continuous stirred tank reactors operated for 134 days. Cellulase and xylanase activities were monitored weekly using fluorescently-labeled model substrates and the enzymatic profiles were correlated with changes in microbial community compositions based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to identify key species involved in lignocellulose degradation. The enzymatic activity profiles and microbial community changes revealed reactor-specific adaption of phylogenetically different hydrolytic communities. The enzymatic activities correlated significantly with changes in specific taxonomic groups, including representatives of Ruminiclostridium, Caldicoprobacter, Ruminofilibacter, Ruminococcaceae, Treponema, and Clostridia order MBA03, all of which have been linked to cellulolytic and xylanolytic activity in the literature. By identifying microorganisms with similar development as the cellulase and xylanase activities, the proposed correlation method constitutes a promising approach for deciphering essential cellulolytic and xylanolytic microbial groups for anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass.

Original languageEnglish
Article number645174
JournalFrontiers in Microbiology
Volume12
Number of pages13
ISSN1664-302X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2021

Keywords

  • anaerobic digestion
  • biogas
  • fluorometric enzyme assay
  • hydrolysis
  • lignocellulose
  • microbial adaptation
  • microbial community
  • wheat straw

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