Mechanism of Quorum Sensing in Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation (Anammox) Bacteria

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox), a process which the anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria (AnAOB) with nitrite as the electron acceptor converts ammonium into nitrogen gas. Because of low consumption and high efficiency, anammox is considered as one of the best process in the wastewater treatment field. Quorum sensing (QS) is a common microorganism communication system, and it can control gene expression in accordance with the cell density. AnAOB expresses some behaviors such as self-congregating and active striking during growing up. It confirms that QS plays an important role in the metabolism of AnAOB. In this study, the mechanism of quorum sensing in AnAOB in recent years was summarized. Consequently, a theoretical basis for the application of anammox process in biological wastewater treatment was provided.