A novel enzyme-based antimicrobial system comprising iodide and a multicopper oxidase isolated from Alphaproteobacterium strain Q-1

Microbial involvement in iodine cycle: mechanisms and potential applications

Stable iodine isotopes are essential for humans as they are necessary for producing thyroid gland hormones. However, there are hazardous radioactive iodine isotopes that are emitted into the environment through radioactive waste generated by nuclear power plants, nuclear weapon tests, and medical practice. Due to the biophilic character of iodine radionuclides and their enormous biomagnification potential, their elimination from contaminated environments is essential to prevent the spread of radioactive pollution in ecosystems. Since microorganisms play a vital role in controlling iodine cycling and fate in the environment, they also can be efficiently utilized in solving the issue of contamination spread. Thus, this paper summarizes all known on microbial processes that are involved in iodine transformation to highlight their prospects in remediation of the sites contaminated with radioactive iodine isotopes.

The Genus Iodidimonas: From Its Discovery to Potential Applications

The genus Iodidimonas was recently proposed in the class Alphaproteobacteria. Iodidimonas strains are aerobic, mesophilic, neutrophilic, moderately halophilic, and chemo-organotrophic. They were first discovered in natural gas brine water containing a very high level of iodide (I−). They exhibited a unique phenotypic feature of iodide oxidation to form molecular iodine (I2). Iodidimonas was also enriched and isolated from surface seawater supplemented with iodide, and it is clearer now that their common habitats are those enriched with iodide. In such environments, Iodidimonas species seem to attack microbial competitors with the toxic form I2 to occupy their ecological niche. The iodide-oxidizing enzyme (IOX) purified from the Iodidimonas sp. strain Q-1 exhibited high catalytic efficiency for iodide and consisted of at least two proteins IoxA and IoxC. IoxA is a putative multicopper oxidase with four conserved copper-binding regions but is phylogenetically distinct from other bacterial multicopper oxidases. The IOX/iodide system could be used as a novel enzyme-based antimicrobial system which can efficiently kill Bacillus spores. Furthermore, the IOX/iodide system can be applied to the decolorization of recalcitrant dyes, where iodide may function as a novel inorganic natural redox mediator.

Decolorization of recalcitrant dyes by a multicopper oxidase produced by Iodidimonas sp. Q-1 with iodide as a novel inorganic natural redox mediator

A multicopper oxidase (IOX) produced by Iodidimonas sp. Q-1 has high catalytic efficiency for iodide (I⁻) oxidation to form molecular iodine (I₂). In this study, the potential capacity of IOX for decolorization of recalcitrant dyes was determined. Although IOX did not decolorize any dyes in the absence of redox mediator, significant decolorization of Orange G, Indigo Carmine, Amido Black, and Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) was observed in the presence of iodide. Addition of 0.1 mM iodide was sufficient to decolorize a total of 3 mM Indigo Carmine, suggesting that iodide functions as a mediator. Such mediator-like function of iodide was not observed in commercially available fungal laccases. The IOX-iodide decolorization system showed much alkaline pH optima of 5.5–6.5 and stronger salt tolerance than fungal laccases did. In addition, actual wastewater discharged from a dyeing factory could be decolorized more than 50% by the system. Since iodide is naturally occurring, non-toxic, and cheaper than common synthetic mediators, the IOX-iodide system is potentially more advantageous than fungal laccase-mediator systems for decolorization of recalcitrant dyes.

Draft Genome Sequence of Roseovarius sp. A-2, an Iodide-Oxidizing Bacterium Isolated from Natural Gas Brine Water, Chiba, Japan

Roseovarius sp. A-2 is a heterotrophic iodide (I^-)-oxidizing bacterium isolated from iodide-rich natural gas brine water in Chiba, Japan. This strain oxidizes iodide to molecular iodine (I₂) by means of an extracellular multicopper oxidase. Here we report the draft genome sequence of strain A-2. The draft genome contained 46 tRNA genes, 1 copy of a 16S-23S-5S rRNA operon, and 4,514 protein coding DNA sequences, of which 1,207 (27%) were hypothetical proteins. The genome contained a gene encoding IoxA, a multicopper oxidase previously found to catalyze the oxidation of iodide in Iodidimonas sp. Q-1. This draft genome provides detailed insights into the metabolism and potential application of Roseovarius sp. A-2.

Microbial Transformation of Iodine: From Radioisotopes to Iodine Deficiency

Iodine is a biophilic element that is important for human health, both as an essential component of several thyroid hormones and, on the other hand, as a potential carcinogen in the form of radioiodine generated by anthropogenic nuclear activity. Iodine exists in multiple oxidation states (-1, 0, +1, +3, +5, and +7), primarily as molecular iodine (I₂), iodide (I^-), iodate [Formula: see text] , or organic iodine (org-I). The mobility of iodine in the environment is dependent on its speciation and a series of redox, complexation, sorption, precipitation, and microbial reactions. Over the last 15years, there have been significant advances in iodine biogeochemistry, largely spurred by renewed interest in the fate of radioiodine in the environment. We review the biogeochemistry of iodine, with particular emphasis on the microbial processes responsible for volatilization, accumulation, oxidation, and reduction of iodine, as well as the exciting technological potential of these fascinating microorganisms and enzymes.