Specific quorum sensing signal molecules inducing the social behaviors of microbial populations in anaerobic digestion

A series of dominant functional floras involved in anaerobic digestion was obtained by subculturing anaerobic sludge with specific substrates, respectively, and their specific quorum sensing signals (AHLs) were identified. It was found that most of the AHLs were secreted in starvation of the functional floras. One or two AHLs were found to have a significant positive correlation with the behavior of hydrolytic-fermentative bacteria, homoacetogens, syntrophic propionate-oxidizing bacteria, syntrophic butyrate-oxidizing bacteria and aceticlastic methanogens, respectively. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens had a various self-organization means and broader relations with the other populations, which was induced by six AHLs at least. Performance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket in the startup process revealed that the dominant populations involved in anaerobic digestion would secret specific AHLs to induce K-strategy in resource-limited situation for reproduction and regulating their cooperation. This work presents a novel perspective on the social behaviors of microbial populations in anaerobic digestion.