A genomic view on syntrophic versus non-syntrophic lifestyle in anaerobic fatty acid degrading communities

In sulfate-reducing and methanogenic environments complex biopolymers are hydrolyzed and degraded by fermentative micro-organisms that produce hydrogen, carbon dioxide and short chain fatty acids. Degradation of short chain fatty acids can be coupled to methanogenesis or to sulfate-reduction. Here we study from a genome perspective why some of these micro-organisms are able to grow in syntrophy with methanogens and others are not. Bacterial strains were selected based on genome availability and upon their ability to grow on short chain fatty acids alone or in syntrophic association with methanogens. Systematic functional domain profiling allowed us to shed light on this fundamental and ecologically important question. Extra-cytoplasmic formate dehydrogenases (InterPro domain number; IPR006443), including their maturation protein FdhE (IPR024064 and IPR006452) is a typical difference between syntrophic and non-syntrophic butyrate and propionate degraders. Furthermore, two domains with a currently unknown function seem to be associated with the ability of syntrophic growth. One is putatively involved in capsule or biofilm production (IPR019079) and a second in cell division, shape-determination or sporulation (IPR018365). The sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfobacterium autotrophicum HRM2, Desulfomonile tiedjei and Desulfosporosinus meridiei were never tested for syntrophic growth, but all crucial domains were found in their genomes, which suggests their possible ability to grow in syntrophic association with methanogens. In addition, profiling domains involved in electron transfer mechanisms revealed the important role of the Rnf-complex and the formate transporter in syntrophy, and indicate that DUF224 may have a role in electron transfer in bacteria other than Syntrophomonas wolfei as well. This article was invited for a Special Issue entitled: 18th European Bioenergetic Conference.This research was financed by grants of BE-Basic (project 7.2.3.), the Technology Foundation, the Applied Science Division (STW) (project 11603) and the Divisions CW and ALW (projects 700.55.343 and 819.02.014) of the Netherlands Science Foundation (NWO) and ERC (project 323009). Furthermore, this work was carried out on the Dutch national e-infrastructure with the support of

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

BALLISTIC-RESISTANT ARTICLES

A ballistic-resistant article includes a stack of sheets containing reinforcing linear tension members, the direction of the linear tension members within the stack being no unidirectionally, wherein some of the linear tension members are linear tension members comprising high molecular weight polyethylene and some of the linear tension members comprise aramid. A sheet and a consolidated sheet package contain the ballistic-resistant article, and a method of manufacturing produces the ballistic-resistant article