Microbial Dechlorinating Consortia & Brief Introduction to Metagenomics

Elizabeth A. Edwards Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry And Cell and Systems Biology

University of Toronto

Centre for Applied Bioscience and Bioengineering Co-Authors and Acknowledgments Edwards lab Ivy Yang, Courtney Toth, Katherine Picott, Olivia Bulka, Fei Luo, Nadia Morson, Olivia Molenda, Mahbod Sandra Dworatzek Hajighasemi, Laura Hug, Shuiquan Tang, Marie Phil Dennis Manchester, Luz Puentes, Camilla Nesbo, Xioaming Jeff Roberts & Jen Webb Liang, Line Lomheim, Kai Wei, Jine Jine Li, Cleo Ho, Ahsan Islam, Cheryl Devine, Alfredo Perez de Mora, Anna Zila, Sarah McRae, Laurent Laquitaine, Winnie Chan, Ariel Grostern, Melanie Duhamel, Alison Waller… Dr. David Major, Evan Cox And many more Michaye McMaster & others Collaborators Frank Löffler (U. Tenn) Krishna Mahadevan (U of Toronto) Barb Sherwood Lollar, Brent Sleep (U of Toronto) Alfred Spormann (Stanford) Ruth Richardson & Stephen Zinder (Cornell) Lorenz Adrian (UFZ); Craig Criddle (Stanford)

1 Fate of contaminants in the environment: role of Biology

CF TCE

spill

Typically Dissolved plume of oxygen contaminant Clay lens becomes depleted Groundwater Flow

Impermeable layer

Bioremediation: the remediation (clean up) of contaminated sites (soil, sediment, groundwater) using microorganisms in an engineered system • ex situ (on-site): in above-ground bioreactors • in situ (in-place): the subsurface is the bioreactor • Biostimulation vs. Three challenges: 1) Mixing 2) Mixing Above Nutrients 3) Mixing ground and/or microbes Bioreactor

Extraction Injection well Aquifer well Bioreactor Overview of Microbial Metabolism

Something to eat Something to “breathe” Electron Donor or Substrate Electron Acceptor (Reduced) (Oxidized)

Sugars, Proteins, Fats Nitrate (NO3) Oxygen (O2) Toluene, Sulfate (SO4); SeO4 Fe(III), CO2 H2, Fe(II), H2S, FeS Enzymes in a microbe

Electron Donor or Substrate Electron Acceptor (Oxidized) (Reduced) CO 2 N , H S; Seo + o 2- Water 2 2 H , Fe(III), S , SO4 Fe(II), CH4

If energy is released (DeltaG<0) then microbe can grow Anaerobic PCE Dechlorination

Cl Cl Before 1989 C=C Cl H Cl Cl C=C H H Cl Cl PCE C=C H H TCE Cl Cl C=C DCE H Cl VC Made a bad situation worse! Complete

After 1989 Cl H C=C H H Cl Cl C=C H H Wow! TCE Cl Cl C=C H H DCE H Cl C=C VC Mediated by Microbes H H under ANAEROBIC conditions Ethene Requires electron donor Gossett and Freedman, 1989 - Cornell Anaerobic Microcosms from Site where lots of ethene was detected (1995)

Sterile Active Control Donor1 Donor2 Donor3

7 TCE Dechlorination to Ethene by the “KB-1” Consortium (circa 1998)

0.40 TCE Ethene + HCl 0.35 TCE Ethene Methanol CH4+CO2 0.30 Cells

0.25

0.20 Enriched since 1997 on

0.15 VC TCE/MeOH moles/bottle)

 0.10

0.05 cDCE Strictly anaerobic

TCE ( TCE 0.00 0 5 10 15 20 Time (Days) 1995 – 1999: Enrichment of KB-1

Sediment/Groundwater Microcosms from Ontario site - Produced lots of Ethene Sediment Free Culture in defined Anaerobic Media

2002: Founding of Dave Major & Evan Cox, Geosyntec Phil Denis, Sandra Dworatzek, Jeff Roberts and many other fabulous staff

Growth scale-up to several liters 1995 – 1999: Enrichment of KB-1

Sediment/Groundwater Microcosms from Ontario site - Produced lots of Ethene Sediment Free Culture in defined Anaerobic Media

2002: Founding of

Growth scale-up to several liters Dechlorinators occupy a similar niche to methanogens Fermentable substrate (ethanol, lactate, methanol)

Fermenters Dechlorinators occupy a similar niche to methanogens Fermentable substrate (ethanol, lactate, methanol)

Fermenters

Dehalococcoides KB-1/VC (SEM) Organohalide Respiration

Something to eat Something to “breathe”

Electron Donor or Substrate Electron Acceptor CO2 (Reduced) (Oxidized)

H Perchloroethene 2 Trichloroethene Dichloroethene Vinyl Choride Enzymes in an Anaerobe

Electron Acceptor Electron Donor or Substrate (Reduced) (Oxidized) CH4 Trichloroethene H+ Dichloroethene Vinyl Chloride, Ethene Organohalide-respiring use these reactions as electron sinks

Hydrogenolysis

PCE TCE

Catalyzed by reductive dehalogenases

Dihaloelimination

1,1,2,2-TeCA trans-DCE Research on Reductive Dechlorination and Organohalide Respiration 1989

2H HCl 2H HCl 2H HCl 2H HCl

Dehalobacter Dehalococcoides 1997 Dehalospirillum Desulfitobacterium (Only some strains) Desulfuromonas Dehalogenimonas 2015 +Dehalococcoides 1993 Ethene is non-toxic, produced by many fruit to stimulate ripening What followed since ~2001

• Practical Application for • Fundamental Science Bioremediation – Organisms that dechlorinate? – How to scale up & grow faster – Microbial ecology, physiology, – Regulatory approvals evolution – How to deliver to subsurface – Growth kinetics – How to tracking organisms – Enzymes involved – Other contaminants – Mechanisms and substrates – Modelling fate and transport – Microbial community – How much culture to add? interactions – What are inhibitors? – Omics…. Fundamental Science

KEY ORGANISMS (Dehalococcoides, , Dehalogenimonas)

ENZYMES MICROBIAL COMMUNITY

Bommer, M., et al. Structural Basis for Organohalide Respiration. Science. 2014, 346:455–458. Fundamental Science KEY ORGANISMS MICROBIAL ENZYMES COMMUNITY (specific dechlorinating bacteria) (a protein) Two types of organohalide-respiring bacteria

Maphosa, de Vos and Smidt, Trends in Biotechnology Vol.28 No.6, 2010 Some Good Substrates for Dechlorinators

Dehalococcoides Dehalobacter Dehalobacter Desulfitobacterium Dehalogenimonas Desulfitobacterium H3C H Sulfurospirillum Geobacter H Trichloroethene 1,1,1-Trichloroethane Chloroform (TCE) (1,1,1-TCA) (CF)

Dehalococcoides Dehalobacter Dehalogenimonas Dehalogenimonas Trichlorobenzene Trichloropropane H3C

Two cultures: KB-1 Culture H No overlap in TCE Dhc substrates ACT-3 Geo Culture cDCE Dhc 1,1,1-TCA CF VC Dhb Dhc 1,1-DCA DCM

Dhb Ethene CA Dhc = Dehalococcoides Dhb = Dehalobacter 21 Geo = Geobacter WBC-2 and KB-1 Pathway Convergence

KB-1 Culture 1,1,2,2-TeCA TCE WBC-2 Culture tDCE Dhc ACT-3 Geo Culture cDCE Dhc 1,1,1-TCA CF VC Dhb Dhc 1,1-DCA DCM Dhb Ethene CA Dhc = Dehalococcoides Dhb = Dehalobacter 22 Geo = Geobacter Dehalogenimonas dechlorinates tDCE

KB-1 Culture 1,1,2,2-TeCA

Dhb TCE WBC-2 Culture tDCE Dhc ACT-3 Geo Culture Dhg cDCE Dhc 1,1,1-TCA CF VC Dhb Dhc 1,1-DCA DCM Dhb Ethene CA

Dhc = Dehalococcoides Dhb = Dehalobacter Dhg = Dehalogenimonas Geo = Geobacter 23 Dehalogenimonas dechlorinates tDCE

KB-1 Culture 1,1,2,2-TeCA

Dhb TCE WBC-2 Culture tDCE Dhc1 ACT-3 Geo Culture Dhg cDCE Dhc2 1,1,1-TCA CF VC Dhb1 Dhc2 1,1-DCA DCM Dhb2 Ethene CA

Dhc = Dehalococcoides Dhb = Dehalobacter Dhg = Dehalogenimonas Geo = Geobacter 24 Pathway Convergence & Substrate Interference Competition Dhb, Dhc, Other PCE 1,1,2,2-TeCA Abiotic Dhb TCE tDCE Dhb, Dhc, Other 1,1,2-TCA Dhg cDCE

Other, Dhb Dhc 1,1,1-TCA CF VC Inhibition → Dhb 1,2-DCA Dhc 1,1-DCA DCM Other, Dhb, Dhc Dhb Ethene CA Dhc = Dehalococcoides Dhb = Dehalobacter Dhg = Dehalogenimonas Other = Desulfitobacterium, Sulfurospirillum, Geobacter Enzyme Assays to explore impact of inhibition

Data from “Cell-Free” extracts of a Dehalobacter mixed culture

Lyse all cells to release all proteins (including dehalogenases)

Assay enzymes directly Adding CF+ artificial electron donor in reducing buffer e- donor CF (oxidized) e- donor DCM (reduced) 26 Genomes of Organohalide-Respiring Bacteria (OHRB) (Sequence DNA) Organohalide-respiring Bacteria Mbp rdhA genes Versatile metabolism (facultative OHRB): Halogenated and non Desulfitobacterium hafniense Y51 5.73 4 halogenated Desulfitobacterium hafniense DCB-2 5.28 7 electron Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans 2CP-C 5.01 2 acceptors Geobacter lovleyi SZ 3.87 2 Restricted metabolism (Obligate OHRB): Dehalobacter restrictus 2.94 25 Dehalobacter strain CF 2.91 20 Only Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens 1.66 19 halogenated electron Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain 195 1.47 17 acceptors Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain VS 1.41 36 Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain CBDB1 1.4 32 Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain KBVC1 1.39 22 Organohalide respiration and reductive dehalogenases

(RDases) with cobamide (B12) as the cofactor

Outside of the cell

Inside the cell

28 Enzyme Characterization

pceA Sulfurospirillum, Desulfitobacterium, Dehalobacter, Clostridium, Geobacter Multiple Dehalococcoides tceA strains vcrA

Certain bvcA Dehalococcoides

1,2-Dichloroethane Process- and Organism-Specific Biomarkers Quantitative PCR based tests to detect Chlorinated Chlorinated Chlorinated Chlorinated DNA in Ethanes Ethenes Methanes Propanes Environmental Samples

pceA Dhc cfrA Dhb 1 cfrA Dhb 1 dcpA Dhg pceA tceA

dcrA Dhb 2 tceA bvcA Dhb-related Dhc; Dhg vcrA PCBs CO2 bvcA Dhc; Dhg RD-17 (CG-1) vcrA RD-1 (CG-4) RD-1 (CG-5)

Dhc Functional Gene Biomarkers Dhc: Dehalococcoides mccartyi 16S rRNA Gene Biomarkers Dhb: Dehalobacter sp. Dhg: Dehalogenimonas sp. Slide from Frank Loeffler 30 Process- and Organism-Specific Biomarkers

Chlorinated Chlorinated Chlorinated Chlorinated Chlorinated HCH & Ethanes Ethenes Methanes Propanes Lindane

pceA Dhc cfrA Dhb 1 cfrA Dhb 1 dcpA Dhg Dhb, Dhc pceA Cl Dhb tceA Dhb Dhb dcrA Dhb 2 tceA Cl bvcA Dhb-related Dhc; Dhg vcrA PCBs CO2 bvcA Dhc; Dhg RD-17 (CG-1) CO +CH vcrA RD-1 (CG-4) 2 4 RD-1 (CG-5)

Dhc Functional Gene Biomarkers Dhc: Dehalococcoides mccartyi 16S rRNA Gene Biomarkers Dhb: Dehalobacter sp. Dhg: Dehalogenimonas sp. Slide from Frank Loeffler 31 Role of the Community: Dehalococcoides isolates grow slowly KB-1 Consortium Community Diversity

KB-1 Consortium Dhb: Encode genes to make B12 Critical Role of vit B12

Geobacter Dehalobacter

Dhc: Encode genes to salvage B12

Methanogens and acetogens provide essential nutrients and enhance dechlorination Case Study: Field site in Toronto

Objective: • Assess the impact of ZVI on indigenous dechlorinating microbial communities Approach: • Carried out a microcosm study with Site groundwater (+/- ZVI+Guar Gum) • Sampled and analyzed groundwater from the field site during remediation

34 Groundwater Microcosm Data

TCA

Dhb 1

DCA

CA Dehalobacter Groundwater Microcosm Data

TCA

Dhb 1

DCA

CA Results from the Field

TCA

Dhb 1

DCA

CA Results from the Field

TCA

Dhb 1

DCA

CA Microcosms and the Need for Activity-Based Tests • Microcosm studies and other direct measurements of microbial activity are the best and most definitive way to understand complex processes at a given site • More time-consuming but more informative than simple measurements of chemical & biological markers • Activity-driven assays do not rely on pre-existing knowledge of microbial identity. • Microcosms are essential to enriching novel microbes. • Microcosms can more readily detect combined abiotic and biotic processes, cometabolism, presence of inhibitors, and substrate interactions and interferences.

From Hug et al., Chapter 11; Bioaugmentation for Groundwater Remediation. Springer 2013 H3C

Cl Cl

Cl Cl

Springer, 2016 ???? HCH Hexachlorocychlohexane Chlordecone Lindane (γ-HCH) Take Home Messages

• Many different types of organohalide respiring bacteria (OHRB) exist. They are often highly specialized • A diverse array of enzymes exists that are selective in their substrates • OHRB live within a community of fermenting organisms exchanging substrates, vitamins, and other nutrients • Multiple closely related strains co-exist in the field and in enrichment cultures • Need to study as a community, not individuals Hug, L. A. and Co, R. 2018. It Takes a Village: Microbial Communities Thrive through Interactions and Metabolic Handoffs. MSystems 3 (2).41 GOOD RESOURCES

Thank You 2013 & Questions

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