Hong Wenqing, Yang Shu, Shu Weixi, Price Gordon, Song Liyan
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
Institute of Public Health Sciences, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
Waste Manag. 2025 Sep;206:115048. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2025.115048. Epub 2025 Aug 2.
Landfill ecosystems represent significant terrestrial carbon sinks, where municipal solid waste (MSW) undergoes decomposition and transformation through biochemical reactions mediated by multi-kingdom microbiome. However, the spatial and temporal characterization of microbial interactions and collaboration within these multi-kingdom microbiomes remain largely unknown. In this study, we reveal the hierarchical and collaborative mechanisms by which multi-kingdom microbiomes drive carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycling across a 30-meter landfilling depth, corresponding to a landfilling age of 1 to 4 years. Through integration of metagenomics and network analyses, we elucidated vertical succession patterns in microbial community structure and function. The surface layer (1-2 years) was centered on bacterial-dominated primary metabolism, with Enterococcus aquimarinus and Brevundimonas bullata inferred to mediate metabolic coupling through fermentation, nitrogen fixation andphosphorus solubilization. Concurrently, phage-driven host lysis may contribute to the suppression of acidification. In the middle layer (2-3 years), co-occurrence patterns between archaea and fungi suggest mutualistic interaction supporting methanogenesis, wherein fungi such as Anaeromyces robustus would supply key substrates for methanogens such as Methanofollis ethanolicus. In the bottom layer (3-4 years), fungi, bacteria, and viruses collaborate under nutrient-limited conditions, with phages employing a "kill-the-winner" approach to sustain ecosystem function and stability. Collectively, our findings indicate that key microbial connectors across kingdoms contribute to elemental cycling through cross-kingdom interaction, including substrate exchange and nutrient supply. This study advances our understanding of multi-kingdom microbial dynamics during MSW decomposition and offers a conceptual framework for enhancing biogeochemical cycling efficiency within landfill ecosystems.
垃圾填埋场生态系统是重要的陆地碳汇,城市固体废物(MSW)在多界微生物群落介导的生化反应中经历分解和转化。然而,这些多界微生物群落内微生物相互作用与协作的时空特征仍 largely unknown。在本研究中,我们揭示了多界微生物群落驱动碳、氮、磷和硫在30米填埋深度内循环的层级和协作机制,该深度对应1至4年的填埋龄。通过整合宏基因组学和网络分析,我们阐明了微生物群落结构和功能的垂直演替模式。表层(1 - 2年)以细菌主导的初级代谢为中心,推测海鱼肠球菌和泡囊短波单胞菌通过发酵、固氮和溶磷介导代谢耦合。同时,噬菌体驱动的宿主裂解可能有助于抑制酸化。在中层(2 - 3年),古菌和真菌之间的共现模式表明存在支持甲烷生成的互利相互作用,其中粗壮厌氧霉菌等真菌会为乙醇甲烷囊菌等产甲烷菌提供关键底物。在底层(3 - 4年),真菌、细菌和病毒在营养受限条件下协作,噬菌体采用“杀死赢家”策略来维持生态系统功能和稳定性。总体而言,我们的研究结果表明,跨界的关键微生物连接体通过跨界相互作用(包括底物交换和养分供应)促进元素循环。本研究增进了我们对城市固体废物分解过程中多界微生物动态的理解,并为提高垃圾填埋场生态系统内生物地球化学循环效率提供了一个概念框架。