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Are some putative glycogen accumulating organisms (GAO) in anaerobic : aerobic activated sludge systems members of the -Proteobacteria?

Yun H. Kong

Biotechnology Research Centre, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria 3552, Australia

Correspondence
Robert J. Seviour
r.seviour{at}latrobe.edu.au

Activated sludge plants designed to remove phosphorus microbiologically often perform unreliably. One suggestion is that the polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO) are out-competed for substrates by another group of bacteria, the glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAO) in the anaerobic zones of these processes. This study used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to analyse the communities from laboratory-scale anaerobic : aerobic sequencing batch reactors. Members of the genus Sphingomonas in the -Proteobacteria were present in large numbers in communities with poor phosphorus removal capacity where the biomass had a high glycogen content. Their ability to store poly--hydroxyalkanoates anaerobically, but not aerobically, and not accumulate polyphosphate aerobically is consistent with these organisms behaving as GAO there. No evidence was found to support an important role for the -Proteobacteria as possible GAO in these communities, although these bacterial populations have been considered in other studies to act as possible competitors for the PAO.

Present address: Dept of Environmental Engineering, Aalborg University, DK-9000, Aalborg, Denmark.

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