Self-organization and functional stability of microbial community

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K14906
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 39060:Conservation of biological resources-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Kenshi 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 特任助教 (80870188)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 微生物生態系 / 代謝ネットワーク / 環境保全 / 自己組織化 / 個体群内不均一性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Analysis of metabolite cross-feeding within the Comamonas thiooxydans R2 population revealed the establishment of a metabolic network capable of sharing at least 51 metabolites. Furthermore, phenol, supplied to the culture as the sole carbon source, was degraded by a part of cells, and other cells probably utilized metabolites from phenol-degrading cells. It was suggested that the population of strain R2 was maintained while the network structure was altered. Investigation of the effects of metabolites on the growth of strain R2 revealed that enhancement or inhibition of growth was observed. Thus, these metabolites would alter the metabolic state of individual cells, resulting in a heterogeneous population. A model microbial community using five strains was constructed to analyze the metabolic network in a more complex microbial community. Metabolite analysis revealed that more than 150 metabolites were shared among the five strains.

Free Research Field

微生物生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で明らかにした個体群内あるいは群集内で生じる代謝ネットワークと機能的安定化に関する知見は、如何にして微生物が集団として自己組織化し機能を発揮・維持するのかを、代謝物の授受という観点から明らかにできることから、微生物生態学的に極めて重要な知見である。また、これまで個体群でさえ理論的な制御は難しく、その方法確立や微生物群のデザインが微生物利用技術におけるボトルネックとなっていた。本研究で得られた知見に基づき、代謝ネットワークをデザイン・制御するという切り口から微生物制御理論を確立することで、より効率的な物質生産や環境浄化が期待されることから、社会的意義が極めて高いと判断できる。