Metabolic Exchange with Non-Alkane-Consuming Pseudomonas stutzeri SLG510A3-8 Improves n -Alkane Biodegradation by the Alkane Degrader Dietzia sp. Strain DQ12-45-1b

Abstract

Many natural and synthetic microbial communities are composed of not only species whose biological properties are consistent with their corresponding communities but also ones whose chemophysical characteristics do not directly contribute to the performance of their communities. Even though the latter species are often essential to the microbial communities, their roles are unclear. Here, by investigation of an artificial two-member microbial consortium in n -alkane biodegradation, we showed that the microbial member without the n -alkane-degrading capability had a cross-feeding interaction with and metabolic regulation to the leading member for the synergistic n -alkane biodegradation. Our study improves the current understanding of microbial interactions. Because “assistant” microbes showed importance in communities in addition to the functional microbes, our findings also suggest a useful “assistant-microbe” principle in the design of microbial communities for either bioremediation or chemical production.