Study on the mechanism of regulating micromolar Fe utilization and promoting denitrification by guanosine monophosphate (GMP) based multi-signal functional material Hematin@Fe/GMP

Yunzhe Hao; Tingting Guo; Haibo Li; Wenli Liu; Zhi Chen; Xiaoping Wang; Jianbo Guo

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123610

Study on the mechanism of regulating micromolar Fe utilization and promoting denitrification by guanosine monophosphate (GMP) based multi-signal functional material Hematin@Fe/GMP

J Environ Manage. 2024 Dec 9:373:123610. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123610. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yunzhe Hao¹, Tingting Guo², Haibo Li¹, Wenli Liu², Zhi Chen³, Xiaoping Wang⁴, Jianbo Guo⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science and Technology, Tianjin Chengjian University, Jinjing Road 26, Tianjin, 300384, China.
² School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China.
³ Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁴ School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China. Electronic address: wangxiaoping624@163.com.
⁵ School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China. Electronic address: jianbguo@163.com.

PMID: 39657473
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123610

Abstract

A novel multi-signal functional material consisting of Hematin, Fe, and guanosine monophosphate (GMP) was successfully constructed (Hematin@Fe/GMP) to enhance denitrification efficiency based on the signal network regulation of electron transfer, micromolar Fe utilization, and microbial community. Hematin@Fe/GMP enhanced nitrate reduction rate by 2.33-fold with a 9.9 mg L^-1 h^-1 reduction rate. The mechanisms of accelerated denitrification were elaborated deeply from the electrochemical experiments, microbial metabolism activity, key enzyme activity, gene expression, and microbial community. Specifically, electrochemical experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that the released redox signal (Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺) promoted the increased redox substances (extracellular polymeric substances, cytochrome c, and riboflavin) to accelerate electron transfer efficiency. Metagenomic analysis suggested the released Fe utilization signal modulated siderophores genes (fhuB, fhuC, and fhuD) to promote the uptake and utilization of micromolar Fe, which was more conducive to synthesizing cytochrome c. Moreover, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) stripping experiments demonstrated that the membrane-anchored cyt-c could shuttle in EPS and bind with Hematin@Fe/GMP to form an electrical conduit for accelerating denitrification efficiency. In inhibition experiments, Hematin@Fe/GMP could break down electron transfer barriers and restore/compensate for the electron transfer chain. Meanwhile, Hematin@Fe/GMP could restore the electrical signal disruption and synergize with the enriched signaling-capable microorganisms (Stutzerimonas and Thauera) to regulate quorum sensing. This research introduced multi-signal modulation of Hematin@Fe/GMP on denitrification and provided strategies for accelerating the biological transformation process and effectively utilizing micromolar Fe in practical applications.

Keywords: Effective micromolar Fe utilization; Electron transfer; Microbial community; Multi-signal network.