Effects of cooperative regulation by long-and short-chain quorum sensing signaling molecules on metabolic efficacy of sulfamethoxazole in electroactive biofilms

LONG Xi; ZHANG Baowen; TIAN Jing; XIONG Jianbing; SUN Wenyu; WANG Tao

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202604006

Volume 44 Issue 4

Apr. 2026

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LONG Xi, ZHANG Baowen, TIAN Jing, XIONG Jianbing, SUN Wenyu, WANG Tao. Effects of cooperative regulation by long-and short-chain quorum sensing signaling molecules on metabolic efficacy of sulfamethoxazole in electroactive biofilms[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(4): 47-56. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202604006

Citation:

LONG Xi, ZHANG Baowen, TIAN Jing, XIONG Jianbing, SUN Wenyu, WANG Tao. Effects of cooperative regulation by long-and short-chain quorum sensing signaling molecules on metabolic efficacy of sulfamethoxazole in electroactive biofilms[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(4): 47-56. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202604006

Citation:

LONG Xi, ZHANG Baowen, TIAN Jing, XIONG Jianbing, SUN Wenyu, WANG Tao. Effects of cooperative regulation by long-and short-chain quorum sensing signaling molecules on metabolic efficacy of sulfamethoxazole in electroactive biofilms[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(4): 47-56. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202604006

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Effects of cooperative regulation by long-and short-chain quorum sensing signaling molecules on metabolic efficacy of sulfamethoxazole in electroactive biofilms

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202604006

School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen 529020, China

Received Date: 2025-12-04
Available Online: 2026-06-06
Publish Date: 2026-04-01

Abstract

Abstract

Wastewater containing high concentrations of sulfamethoxazole （SMX） significantly inhibits anaerobic microorganisms， leading to reduced organic matter degradation efficiency and decreased methane yield in anaerobic digestion processes. This study investigated the effects of adding short-chain （C6-HSL） and long-chain （C12-HSL） signaling molecules on the construction， performance， and antibiotic resistance genes （ARGs） of anaerobic electroactive biofilm systems within a microbial electrochemically coupled anaerobic digestion （MEC-AD） system. Results indicated that， compared to the control group （without added signaling molecules）， the relative SMX removal rates in the C6-HSL group （T1）， the C12-HSL group （T2）， and the dual-treated group （T3） increased by 9.26%， 7.44%， and 10.67%， respectively， while methane production rates increased by 20.4%， 16.9%， and 23.1%， respectively. The signaling molecule N-acyl-γ-lactones （AHLs） significantly enhanced the attachment of electroactive microorganisms to the anode electrode by promoting extracellular polymer production. Microbial community analysis revealed that AHLs enhanced microbial diversity and regulated the abundance of key functional bacteria. At the genus level， Georgenia exhibited significantly differential responses to different signal molecules： relative abundance increased by 16.77% and 36.47% in T1 and T3 groups， respectively， while decreasing by 15.99% in T2 group. ARGs analysis results showed that single signaling molecules increased the abundance of intl1， sul1， and sul2. However， the T3 group exhibited a milder response， with sul2 abundance decreasing by 4.92% compared to the control group. This finding indicates that the synergistic effect of composite AHLs helps mitigate the amplification of potential ARG-carrying bacteria. This study reveals， for the first time， the role of short-chain and long-chain composite AHLs in promoting electroactive biofilm formation， maintaining microbial community stability， and regulating ARG transmission risks. It can provide a feasible pathway for developing antibiotic wastewater treatment and risk management strategies based on quorum sensing regulation.
- quorum sensing,
- sulfamethoxazole,
- anaerobic digestion,
- electroactive biofilm,
- antibiotic resistance genes

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References(54)

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