Influence of Lipopolysaccharide on the Surface Proton-Binding Behavior of Shewanella spp

Self-potential time series reveal emergent behavior in soil organic matter dynamics

The active cycling of carbon between soil organic matter and the atmosphere is of critical importance to global climate change. An extensive body of research exists documenting the capricious nature of soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics, which is symptomatic of an intricate network of interactions between diverse groups of heterotrophic microorganisms, complex organic substrates, and highly variable local environmental conditions. These attributes are consistent with elements of complex system theory and the temporal evolution of otherwise unpredictable patterns of behavior that emerge from long range dependency on initial conditions. Here we show that vertical depth profile of self-potential (SP) time series measurements responds in a quantitative manner to variations in soil moisture, SOM concentrations, and relative rates of microbial activity. Application of detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) of self potential time series data is shown additionally to reveal the presence of long-range dependence and emergence of anomalous electrochemical diffusion behavior, both of which diminish with depth as SOM specific energy densities decline.

Heterogeneous Chemistry of Lipopolysaccharides with Gas-Phase Nitric Acid: Reactive Sites and Reaction Pathways

Recent studies have shown that sea spray aerosol (SSA) has a size-dependent, complex composition consisting of biomolecules and biologically derived organic compounds in addition to salts. This additional chemical complexity most likely influences the heterogeneous reactivity of SSA, as these other components will have different reactive sites and reaction pathways. In this study, we focus on the reactivity of a class of particles derived from some of the biological components of sea spray aerosol including lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that undergo heterogeneous chemistry within the reactive sites of the biological molecule. Examples of these reactions and the relevant reactive sites are proposed as follows: R-COONa(s) + HNO3(g) → NaNO3 + R-COOH and R-HPO4Na(s) + HNO3(g) → NaNO3 + R-H2PO4. These reactions may be a heterogeneous pathway not only for sea spray aerosol but also for a variety of other types of atmospheric aerosol as well.

Impact of growth environment and physiological state on metal immobilization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Environmental growth conditions and cell physiology have the potential to influence bacterial surface-metal interactions in both planktonic and biofilm systems. Here, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied to determine the influence of these factors (pH, redox potential, and active respiration) on surface electrostatics and metal immobilization. Acid-base titrations revealed a decrease in ionizable ligands at pKa 5 (putative carboxyls) in cells grown below pH 6.2 and in cells grown anaerobically relative to cells grown under oxic and circumneutral pH conditions. This observation correlates with Western immunoblotting assays that revealed a reduction in carboxylated B-band lipopolysaccharide in these cells. Furthermore, spectrophotometric analysis revealed a decrease in zinc, copper, and iron immobilization in these cells, suggesting that lipopolysaccharide modification in response to environmental stimuli influences metal binding. The effect of active versus inactive metabolism on metal adsorption was also examined using respiration inhibitors carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and sodium azide. Cells treated with these compounds bound more zinc, copper, and iron than untreated controls, suggesting proton extrusion through respiration competes with metal cations for reactive groups on the cell surface. Accumulation of gold did not show the same trend, and transmission electron microscopy studies confirmed it was not a surface-mediated process. These results suggest that variations in growth environment and cell physiology influence metal accumulation by bacterial cell surfaces and may help to explain discontinuous accumulation of metal observed throughout microbial communities.