Heterotrophic growth of Thiobacillus acidophilus in batch and chemostat cultures

A continuous flow membrane bio-reactor releases the feedback inhibition of self-generated free organic carbon on cbb gene transcription of a typical chemoautotrophic bacterium to improve its CO2 fixation efficiency

Since the free organic carbon (FOC) generated by chemoautotrophic bacterium self has a feedback inhibition effect on its growth and carbon fixation, a continuous flow membrane bio-reactor was designed to remove extracellular FOC (EFOC) and release its inhibition effect. The promotion effect of membrane reactor on growth and carbon fixation of typical chemoautotrophic bacterium and its mechanism were studied. The accumulated apparent carbon fixation yield in membrane reactor was 3.24 times that in the control reactor. The EFOC per unit bacteria and cbb gene transcription level in membrane reactor were about 0.41 times and 11.18 times that in control reactor in late stage, respectively. Membrane reactor separated out EFOC, especially the small molecules, which facilitated the release of intracellular FOC, thereby releasing the inhibition of FOC on cbb gene transcription, thus promoting growth and carbon fixation of the typical chemoautotrophic bacterium. This study lays a foundation for enhancing carbon fixation by chemoautotrophic bacteria and expands the application field of membrane reactor.

In search of a thermodynamic description of biomass yields for the chemotrophic growth of microorganisms

Correlations for the prediction of biomass yields are valuable, and many proposals based on a number of parameters (Y(ATP), Y(Ave), eta(o), Y(c), Gibbs energy efficiencies, and enthalpy efficiencies) have been published. This article critically examines the properties of the proposed parameters with respect to the general applicability to chemotrophic growth systems, a clear relation to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the absence of intrinsic problems, and a requirement of only black box information. It appears that none of the proposed parameters satisfies all these requirements. Particularly, the various energetic efficiency parameters suffer from major intrinsic problems. However, this article will show that the Gibbs energy dissipation per amount of produced biomass (kJ/C-mod) is a parameter which satisfies the requirements without having intrinsic problems. A simple correlation is found which provides the Gibbs energy dissipation/C-mol biomass as a function of the nature of the C-source (expressed as the carbon chain length and the degree of reduction). This dissipation appears to be nearly independent of the nature of the electron acceptor (e.g., O(2), No(3) (-), fermentation). Hence, a single correlation can describe a very wide range of microbial growth systems. In this respect, Gibbs energy dissipation is much more useful than heat production/C-mol biomass, which is strongly dependent on the electron acceptor used. Evidence is presented that even a net heat-uptake can occur in certain growth systems.The correlation of Gibbs energy dissipation thus obtained shows that dissipation/C-mol biomass increases for C-sources with smaller chain length (C(6) --> C(1)), and increases for both higher and lower degrees of reduction than 4. It appears that the dissipation/C-mol biomass can be regarded as a simple thermodynamic measure of the amount of biochemical "work" required to convert the carbon source into biomass by the proper irreversible carbon-carbon coupling and oxidation/reduction reactions. This is supported by the good correlation between the theoretical ATP requirement for biomass formation on different C-sources and the dissipation values (kJ/C-mol biomass) found. The established correlation for the Gibbs energy dissipation allows the prediction of the chemotrophic biomass yield on substrate with an error of 13% in the yield range 0.01 to 0.80 C-mol biomass/(C)-mol substrate for aerobic/anaerobic/denitrifying growth systems.

The role ofAcidithiobacillus ferrooxidansin alleviating the inhibitory effect of thiosulfate on the growth of acidophilicAcidiphiliumspecies isolated from acid mine drainage samples from Garubathan, India

Several acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic and heterotrophic strains were isolated from acid mine drainage samples from Garubathan, West Bengal, India. The strains, chemolithoautotrophic DK6.1 and heterotrophic DKAP1.1, used in this study were assigned to the species Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidiphilium cryptum , respectively. Unamended filtered and subsequently autoclaved elemental sulfur spent medium of A. ferrooxidans was used as the medium to study heterotrophic growth of A. cryptum DKAP1.1. While characterizing the heterotrophic strain, an inhibitory effect of thiosulfate on A. cryptum DKAP1.1 was identified. The lethality of thiosulfate broth was directly related to the concentration of thiosulfate in the medium. Nonviability of A. cryptum DKAP1.1 in the presence of thiosulfate was alleviated by A. ferrooxidans DK6.1 in co-culture. Microbiological data on a positive growth effect for A. ferrooxidans DK6.1 caused by co-culturing in solid media in the presence of A. cryptum DKAP1.1 is also presented.

Expanded thermodynamic true yield prediction model: adjustments and limitations

Bacterial yield prediction is critical for bioprocess optimization and modeling of natural biological systems. In previous work, an expanded thermodynamic true yield prediction model was developed through incorporating carbon balance and nitrogen balance along with electron balance and energy balance. In the present work, the application of the expanded model is demonstrated in multiple growth situations (aerobic heterotrophs, anoxic, anaerobic heterotrophs, and autolithotrophs). Two adjustments are presented that enable improved prediction when additional information regarding the environmental conditions (pH) or degradation pathway (requirement for oxygenase- or oxidase-catalyzed reactions) is known. A large data set of reported yields is presented and considered for suitability in model validation. Significant uncertainties of literature-reported yield values are described. Evaluation of the model with experimental yield values shows good predictive ability. However, the wide range in reported yields and the variability introduced into the prediction by uncertainty in model parameters, limits comprehensive validation. Our results suggest that the uncertainty of the experimental data used for validation limits further improvement of thermodynamic prediction models.

Purification and partial characterization of a thermostable trithionate hydrolase from the acidophilic sulphur oxidizer Thiobacillus acidophilus

Cell-free extracts of Thiobacillus acidophilus catalysed the quantitative conversion of trithionate (S3O6(2-) to thiosulphate and sulphate. A continuous assay for quantification of experimental results was based on the difference in absorbance between trithionate and thiosulphate at 220 nm. Trithionate hydrolase was purified to near homogeneity from cell-free extracts of T. acidophilus. The molecular masses of the native enzyme and the subunit were 99 kDa (gel filtration) and 34 kDa (SDS/PAGE). The purified enzyme has a pH optimum of 3.5-4.5 and a temperature optimum of 70 degrees C. Enzyme activity was stimulated by sulphate. The stimulation of the enzyme activity by sulphate was half maximal at a concentration of 0.23 M. The Km for trithionate is 70 microM at 30 degrees C and 270 microM at 70 degrees C. Enzyme activity was lost after 36 days at 0 degrees C, 27 days at 70 degrees C; but after 97 days at 30 degrees C, 40% of the initial activity was still present: The enzyme activity was inhibited by mercury chloride, N-ethylmaleimide, thiosulphate and tetrathionate. Tetrathionate S4O6(2-) was not hydrolysed by trithionate hydrolase.

A new thermodynamically based correlation of chemotrophic biomass yields

A new, generally applicable, thermodynamically based method is proposed to provide an estimation of the biomass yield on arbitrary organic and inorganic substrates. Aerobic, anaerobic, denitrifying growth systems with and without reversed electrontransport are covered. The biomass yield can be estimated with only 15% error in a very wide range of microbial growth systems and biomass yields (0.01-0.80 C-mol/(C)-mol). This method is based on the use of 'Gibbs energy dissipated per C-mol produced biomass' (designated as Ds01/rAx) as the central parameter. Moreover the insufficiency of other methods based on YATP, YAve, eta o, YC and enthalpy or Gibbs energy efficiencies is shortly discussed. Also it appeared to be possible to understand the obtained correlation of Ds01/rAx in general biochemical terms.

Growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans on Formic Acid

A variety of acidophilic microorganisms were shown to be capable of oxidizing formate. These included Thiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 21834, which, however, could not grow on formate in normal batch cultures. However, the organism could be grown on formate when the substrate supply was growth limiting, e.g., in formate-limited chemostat cultures. The cell densities achieved by the use of the latter cultivation method were higher than cell densities reported for growth of T. ferrooxidans on ferrous iron or reduced sulfur compounds. Inhibition of formate oxidation by cell suspensions, but not cell extracts, of formate-grown T. ferrooxidans occurred at formate concentrations above 100 μM. This observation explains the inability of the organism to grow on formate in batch cultures. Cells grown in formate-limited chemostat cultures retained the ability to oxidize ferrous iron at high rates. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activities in cell extracts indicated that T. ferrooxidans employs the Calvin cycle for carbon assimilation during growth on formate. Oxidation of formate by cell extracts was NAD(P) independent.

Mixotrophic and Autotrophic Growth of Thiobacillus acidophilus on Glucose and Thiosulfate

Mixotrophic growth of the facultatively autotrophic acidophile Thiobacillus acidophilus on mixtures of glucose and thiosulfate or tetrathionate was studied in substrate-limited chemostat cultures. Growth yields in mixotrophic cultures were higher than the sum of the heterotrophic and autotrophic growth yields. Pulse experiments with thiosulfate indicated that tetrathionate is an intermediate during thiosulfate oxidation by cell suspensions of T. acidophilus . From mixotrophic growth studies, the energetic value of thiosulfate and tetrathionate redox equivalents was estimated to be 50% of that of redox equivalents derived from glucose oxidation. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) activities in cell extracts and rates of sulfur compound oxidation by cell suspensions increased with increasing thiosulfate/glucose ratios in the influent medium of the mixotrophic cultures. Significant RuBPCase and sulfur compound-oxidizing activities were detected in heterotrophically grown T. acidophilus . Polyhedral inclusion bodies (carboxysomes) could be observed at low frequencies in thin sections of cells grown in heterotrophic, glucose-limited chemostat cultures. Highest RuBPCase activities and carboxysome abundancy were observed in cells from autotrophic, CO 2 -limited chemostat cultures. The maximum growth rate at which thiosulfate was still completely oxidized was increased when glucose was utilized simultaneously. This, together with the fact that even during heterotrophic growth the organism exhibited significant activities of enzymes involved in autotrophic metabolism, indicates that T. acidophilus is well adapted to a mixotrophic lifestyle. In this respect, T. acidophilus may have a competitive advantage over autotrophic acidophiles with respect to the sulfur compound oxidation in environments in which organic compounds are present.