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Arisan D, Moya-Beltrán A, Rojas-Villalobos C, Issotta F, Castro M, Ulloa R, Chiacchiarini PA, Díez B, Martín AJM, Ñancucheo I, Giaveno A, Johnson DB, Quatrini R. Acidithiobacillia class members originating at sites within the Pacific Ring of Fire and other tectonically active locations and description of the novel genus ' Igneacidithiobacillus'. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1360268. [PMID: 38633703 PMCID: PMC11021618 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1360268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have expanded the genomic contours of the Acidithiobacillia, highlighting important lacunae in our comprehension of the phylogenetic space occupied by certain lineages of the class. One such lineage is 'Igneacidithiobacillus', a novel genus-level taxon, represented by 'Igneacidithiobacillus copahuensis' VAN18-1T as its type species, along with two other uncultivated metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) originating from geothermally active sites across the Pacific Ring of Fire. In this study, we investigate the genetic and genomic diversity, and the distribution patterns of several uncharacterized Acidithiobacillia class strains and sequence clones, which are ascribed to the same 16S rRNA gene sequence clade. By digging deeper into this data and contributing to novel MAGs emerging from environmental studies in tectonically active locations, the description of this novel genus has been consolidated. Using state-of-the-art genomic taxonomy methods, we added to already recognized taxa, an additional four novel Candidate (Ca.) species, including 'Ca. Igneacidithiobacillus chanchocoensis' (mCHCt20-1TS), 'Igneacidithiobacillus siniensis' (S30A2T), 'Ca. Igneacidithiobacillus taupoensis' (TVZ-G3 TS), and 'Ca. Igneacidithiobacillus waiarikiensis' (TVZ-G4 TS). Analysis of published data on the isolation, enrichment, cultivation, and preliminary microbiological characterization of several of these unassigned or misassigned strains, along with the type species of the genus, plus the recoverable environmental data from metagenomic studies, allowed us to identify habitat preferences of these taxa. Commonalities and lineage-specific adaptations of the seven species of the genus were derived from pangenome analysis and comparative genomic metabolic reconstruction. The findings emerging from this study lay the groundwork for further research on the ecology, evolution, and biotechnological potential of the novel genus 'Igneacidithiobacillus'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilanaz Arisan
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana Moya-Beltrán
- Departamento de Informática y Computación, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana, Santiago, Chile
| | - Camila Rojas-Villalobos
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Issotta
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Santiago, Chile
| | - Matías Castro
- Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO), Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Ricardo Ulloa
- PROBIEN (CCT Patagonia Confluencia-CONICET, UNCo), Facultad de Ingeniería, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - Patricia A. Chiacchiarini
- PROBIEN (CCT Patagonia Confluencia-CONICET, UNCo), Facultad de Ingeniería, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - Beatriz Díez
- Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Santiago, Chile
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR), Santiago, Chile
| | - Alberto J. M. Martín
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Iván Ñancucheo
- Facultad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad San Sebastián, Lientur, Concepción, Chile
| | - Alejandra Giaveno
- PROBIEN (CCT Patagonia Confluencia-CONICET, UNCo), Facultad de Ingeniería, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
| | - D. Barrie Johnson
- College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Raquel Quatrini
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
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Wu P, Yuan Q, Cheng T, Han Y, Zhao W, Liao X, Wang L, Cai J, He Q, Guo Y, Zhang X, Lu F, Wang J, Ma H, Huang Z. Genome sequencing and metabolic network reconstruction of a novel sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus Ameehan. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1277847. [PMID: 38053556 PMCID: PMC10694236 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1277847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria play a crucial role in various processes, including mine bioleaching, biodesulfurization, and treatment of sulfur-containing wastewater. Nevertheless, the pathway involved in sulfur oxidation is highly intricate, making it complete comprehension a formidable and protracted undertaking. The mechanisms of sulfur oxidation within the Acidithiobacillus genus, along with the process of energy production, remain areas that necessitate further research and elucidation. In this study, a novel strain of sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, Acidithiobacillus Ameehan, was isolated. Several physiological characteristics of the strain Ameehan were verified and its complete genome sequence was presented in the study. Besides, the first genome-scale metabolic network model (AMEE_WP1377) was reconstructed for Acidithiobacillus Ameehan to gain a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic capacity of the strain.The characteristics of Acidithiobacillus Ameehan included morphological size and an optimal growth temperature range of 37-45°C, as well as an optimal growth pH range of pH 2.0-8.0. The microbe was found to be capable of growth when sulfur and K2O6S4 were supplied as the energy source and electron donor for CO2 fixation. Conversely, it could not utilize Na2S2O3, FeS2, and FeSO4·7H2O as the energy source or electron donor for CO2 fixation, nor could it grow using glucose or yeast extract as a carbon source. Genome annotation revealed that the strain Ameehan possessed a series of sulfur oxidizing genes that enabled it to oxidize elemental sulfur or various reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs). In addition, the bacterium also possessed carbon fixing genes involved in the incomplete Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle. However, the bacterium lacked the ability to oxidize iron and fix nitrogen. By implementing a constraint-based flux analysis to predict cellular growth in the presence of 71 carbon sources, 88.7% agreement with experimental Biolog data was observed. Five sulfur oxidation pathways were discovered through model simulations. The optimal sulfur oxidation pathway had the highest ATP production rate of 14.81 mmol/gDW/h, NADH/NADPH production rate of 5.76 mmol/gDW/h, consumed 1.575 mmol/gDW/h of CO2, and 1.5 mmol/gDW/h of sulfur. Our findings provide a comprehensive outlook on the most effective cellular metabolic pathways implicated in sulfur oxidation within Acidithiobacillus Ameehan. It suggests that the OMP (outer-membrane proteins) and SQR enzymes (sulfide: quinone oxidoreductase) have a significant impact on the energy production efficiency of sulfur oxidation, which could have potential biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wu
- College of Bioengineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Qianqian Yuan
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Tingting Cheng
- College of Bioengineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yifan Han
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoping Liao
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Lu Wang
- College of Bioengineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingyi Cai
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Qianqian He
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Guo
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Fuping Lu
- College of Bioengineering, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongwu Ma
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- Biodesign Center, Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhiyong Huang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Industrial Biological Systems and Bioprocessing Engineering, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
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Ibáñez A, Garrido-Chamorro S, Coque JJR, Barreiro C. From Genes to Bioleaching: Unraveling Sulfur Metabolism in Acidithiobacillus Genus. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1772. [PMID: 37761912 PMCID: PMC10531304 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sulfur oxidation stands as a pivotal process within the Earth's sulfur cycle, in which Acidithiobacillus species emerge as skillful sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. They are able to efficiently oxidize several reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs) under extreme conditions for their autotrophic growth. This unique characteristic has made these bacteria a useful tool in bioleaching and biological desulfurization applications. Extensive research has unraveled diverse sulfur metabolism pathways and their corresponding regulatory systems. The metabolic arsenal of the Acidithiobacillus genus includes oxidative enzymes such as: (i) elemental sulfur oxidation enzymes, like sulfur dioxygenase (SDO), sulfur oxygenase reductase (SOR), and heterodisulfide reductase (HDR-like system); (ii) enzymes involved in thiosulfate oxidation pathways, including the sulfur oxidation (Sox) system, tetrathionate hydrolase (TetH), and thiosulfate quinone oxidoreductase (TQO); (iii) sulfide oxidation enzymes, like sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR); and (iv) sulfite oxidation pathways, such as sulfite oxidase (SOX). This review summarizes the current state of the art of sulfur metabolic processes in Acidithiobacillus species, which are key players of industrial biomining processes. Furthermore, this manuscript highlights the existing challenges and barriers to further exploring the sulfur metabolism of this peculiar extremophilic genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ibáñez
- Instituto de Investigación de la Viña y el Vino, Escuela de Ingeniería Agraria, Universidad de León, 24009 León, Spain; (A.I.); (J.J.R.C.)
- Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León (ITACyL), Área de Investigación Agrícola, 47071 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sonia Garrido-Chamorro
- Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain;
| | - Juan J. R. Coque
- Instituto de Investigación de la Viña y el Vino, Escuela de Ingeniería Agraria, Universidad de León, 24009 León, Spain; (A.I.); (J.J.R.C.)
| | - Carlos Barreiro
- Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24007 León, Spain;
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The Essential Role of OmpR in Acidithiobacillus caldus Adapting to the High Osmolarity and Its Regulation on the Tetrathionate-Metabolic Pathway. Microorganisms 2022; 11:microorganisms11010035. [PMID: 36677326 PMCID: PMC9861516 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Acidithiobacillus spp. are prevalent in acid mine drainage, and they have been widely used in biomining for extracting nonferrous metals from ores. The osmotic stress generated by elevated concentrations of inorganic ions is a severe challenge for the growth of Acidithiobacillus spp. in the bioleaching process; however, the adaptation mechanism of these bacteria to high osmotic pressure remains unclear. In this study, bioinformatics analysis indicated that the osmotic stress response two-component system EnvZ-OmpR is widely distributed in Acidithiobacillus spp., while OmpRs from Acidithiobacillus spp. exhibited a far more evolutionary relationship with the well-studied OmpRs in E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium. The growth measurement of an Acidithiobacillus caldus (A. caldus) ompR-knockout strain demonstrated that OmpR is essential in the adaptation of this bacterium to high osmotic stress. The overall impact of OmpR on the various metabolic and regulatory systems of A. caldus was revealed by transcriptome analysis. The OmpR binding sequences of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were predicted, and the OmpR box motif in A. caldus was analysed. The direct and negative regulation of EnvZ-OmpR on the tetrathionate-metabolic (tetH) cluster in A. caldus was discovered for the first time, and a co-regulation mode mediated by EnvZ-OmpR and RsrS-RsrR for the tetrathionate intermediate thiosulfate-oxidizing (S4I) pathway in this microorganism was proposed. This study reveals that EnvZ-OmpR is an indispensable regulatory system for the ability of A. caldus to cope with high osmotic stress and the significance of EnvZ-OmpR on the regulation of sulfur metabolism in A. caldus adapting to the high-salt environment.
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You XY, Liu JH, Tian H, Ding Y, Bu QY, Zhang KX, Ren GY, Duan X. Mucilaginibacter Phenanthrenivorans sp. nov., a Novel Phenanthrene Degradation Bacterium Isolated from Wetland Soil. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:382. [DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-03085-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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6
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Chen J, Liu Y, Diep P, Mahadevan R. Genetic engineering of extremely acidophilic Acidithiobacillus species for biomining: Progress and perspectives. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 438:129456. [PMID: 35777147 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
With global demands for mineral resources increasing and ore grades decreasing, microorganisms have been increasingly deployed in biomining applications to recover valuable metals particularly from normally considered waste, such as low-grade ores and used consumer electronics. Acidithiobacillus are a genus of chemolithoautotrophic extreme acidophiles that are commonly found in mining process waters and acid mine drainage, which have been reported in several studies to aid in metal recovery from bioremediation of metal-contaminated sites. Compared to conventional mineral processing technologies, biomining is often cited as a more sustainable and environmentally friendly process, but long leaching cycles and low extraction efficiency are main disadvantages that have hampered its industrial applications. Genetic engineering is a powerful technology that can be used to enhance the performance of microorganisms, such as Acidithiobacillus species. In this review, we compile existing data on Acidithiobacillus species' physiological traits and genomic characteristics, progresses in developing genetic tools to engineer them: plasmids, shutter vectors, transformation methods, selection markers, promoters and reporter systems developed, and genome editing techniques. We further propose genetic engineering strategies for enhancing biomining efficiency of Acidithiobacillus species and provide our perspectives on their future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yilan Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Patrick Diep
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahadevan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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Expression, purification, characterization and direct electrochemistry of two HiPIPs from Acidithiobacillus caldus SM-1. Anal Biochem 2022; 650:114724. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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8
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González-Rosales C, Vergara E, Dopson M, Valdés JH, Holmes DS. Integrative Genomics Sheds Light on Evolutionary Forces Shaping the Acidithiobacillia Class Acidophilic Lifestyle. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:822229. [PMID: 35242113 PMCID: PMC8886135 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.822229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme acidophiles thrive in environments rich in protons (pH values <3) and often high levels of dissolved heavy metals. They are distributed across the three domains of the Tree of Life including members of the Proteobacteria. The Acidithiobacillia class is formed by the neutrophilic genus Thermithiobacillus along with the extremely acidophilic genera Fervidacidithiobacillus, Igneacidithiobacillus, Ambacidithiobacillus, and Acidithiobacillus. Phylogenomic reconstruction revealed a division in the Acidithiobacillia class correlating with the different pH optima that suggested that the acidophilic genera evolved from an ancestral neutrophile within the Acidithiobacillia. Genes and mechanisms denominated as "first line of defense" were key to explaining the Acidithiobacillia acidophilic lifestyle including preventing proton influx that allows the cell to maintain a near-neutral cytoplasmic pH and differ from the neutrophilic Acidithiobacillia ancestors that lacked these systems. Additional differences between the neutrophilic and acidophilic Acidithiobacillia included the higher number of gene copies in the acidophilic genera coding for "second line of defense" systems that neutralize and/or expel protons from cell. Gain of genes such as hopanoid biosynthesis involved in membrane stabilization at low pH and the functional redundancy for generating an internal positive membrane potential revealed the transition from neutrophilic properties to a new acidophilic lifestyle by shaping the Acidithiobacillaceae genomic structure. The presence of a pool of accessory genes with functional redundancy provides the opportunity to "hedge bet" in rapidly changing acidic environments. Although a core of mechanisms for acid resistance was inherited vertically from an inferred neutrophilic ancestor, the majority of mechanisms, especially those potentially involved in resistance to extremely low pH, were obtained from other extreme acidophiles by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina González-Rosales
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Centro Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile.,Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eva Vergara
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Centro Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mark Dopson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Jorge H Valdés
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - David S Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Centro Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile.,Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
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Li M, Wen J. Recent progress in the application of omics technologies in the study of bio-mining microorganisms from extreme environments. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:178. [PMID: 34496835 PMCID: PMC8425152 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01671-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Bio-mining microorganisms are a key factor affecting the metal recovery rate of bio-leaching, which inevitably produces an extremely acidic environment. As a powerful tool for exploring the adaptive mechanisms of microorganisms in extreme environments, omics technologies can greatly aid our understanding of bio-mining microorganisms and their communities on the gene, mRNA, and protein levels. These omics technologies have their own advantages in exploring microbial diversity, adaptive evolution, changes in metabolic characteristics, and resistance mechanisms of single strains or their communities to extreme environments. These technologies can also be used to discover potential new genes, enzymes, metabolites, metabolic pathways, and species. In addition, integrated multi-omics analysis can link information at different biomolecular levels, thereby obtaining more accurate and complete global adaptation mechanisms of bio-mining microorganisms. This review introduces the current status and future trends in the application of omics technologies in the study of bio-mining microorganisms and their communities in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.,Frontier Science Center of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianping Wen
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. .,Frontier Science Center of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
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Li LF, Wang ZB, Han CG, Sun HQ, Wang R, Ren YL, Lin JQ, Pang X, Liu XM, Lin JQ, Chen LX. Optimal reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR and the expression of sigma factors in Acidithiobacillus caldus under various conditions. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 131:1800-1812. [PMID: 33754423 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Acidithiobacillus caldus is an important sulphur-oxidizing bacterium that plays crucial roles in the bioleaching industry. This study aims to analyse the optimal reference gene for real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) under different conditions and investigate the transcription levels of the sigma factor genes in the stress response. METHODS AND RESULTS We selected six housekeeping genes and analysed them via RT-qPCR using two energy resources, under four stress conditions. Three statistical approaches BestKeeper, geNorm, and NormFinder were utilized to determine transcription stability of these reference genes. The gapdH gene was the best internal control gene using elemental sulphur as an energy resource and under heat stress, map was the best internal control gene under pH and osmotic stress, era was the best internal control gene for the K2 S4 O6 energy resource, and rpoC was the best internal control gene under Cu2+ stress. Furthermore, the expressional levels of 11 sigma factors were analysed by RT-qPCR in the stress response. CONCLUSIONS Stable internal control genes for RT-qPCR analysis of A. caldus were determined, and the expression patterns of sigma factor genes of A. caldus were investigated. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY The identification of the optimal reference gene and analysis of transcription levels of sigma factors in A. caldus can provide clues for reference gene selection and the study of sigma factor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- L F Li
- Henan Neurodevelopment Engineering Research Center for Children, Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Z B Wang
- Energy-rich Compounds Production by Photosynthetic Carbon Fixation Research Center, Shandong Key Lab of Applied Mycology, College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - C G Han
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - H Q Sun
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - R Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Y L Ren
- Qingdao Longding Biotech Limited Company, Qingdao, China
| | - J Q Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - X Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - X M Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - J Q Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - L X Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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11
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Camacho D, Frazao R, Fouillen A, Nanci A, Lang BF, Apte SC, Baron C, Warren LA. New Insights Into Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Sulfur Metabolism Through Coupled Gene Expression, Solution Chemistry, Microscopy, and Spectroscopy Analyses. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:411. [PMID: 32231653 PMCID: PMC7082400 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we experimentally expand understanding of the reactions and enzymes involved in Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans ATCC 19377 S0 andS 2 O 3 2 - metabolism by developing models that integrate gene expression analyzed by RNA-Seq, solution sulfur speciation, electron microscopy and spectroscopy. The A. thiooxidansS 2 O 3 2 - metabolism model involves the conversion ofS 2 O 3 2 - to SO 4 2 - , S0 andS 4 O 6 2 - , mediated by the sulfur oxidase complex (Sox), tetrathionate hydrolase (TetH), sulfide quinone reductase (Sqr), and heterodisulfate reductase (Hdr) proteins. These same proteins, with the addition of rhodanese (Rhd), were identified to convert S0 to SO 3 2 - ,S 2 O 3 2 - and polythionates in the A. thiooxidans S0 metabolism model. Our combined results shed light onto the important role specifically of TetH inS 2 O 3 2 - metabolism. Also, we show that activity of Hdr proteins rather than Sdo are likely associated with S0 oxidation. Finally, our data suggest that formation of intracellularS 2 O 3 2 - is a critical step in S0 metabolism, and that recycling of internally generated SO 3 2 - occurs, through comproportionating reactions that result inS 2 O 3 2 - . Electron microscopy and spectroscopy confirmed intracellular production and storage of S0 during growth on both S0 andS 2 O 3 2 - substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Camacho
- School of Geography and Earth Science, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Rodolfo Frazao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aurélien Fouillen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Laboratory for the Study of Calcified Tissues and Biomaterials, Faculty of Dentistry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Antonio Nanci
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Laboratory for the Study of Calcified Tissues and Biomaterials, Faculty of Dentistry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - B. Franz Lang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Simon C. Apte
- CSIRO, Land and Water, Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Christian Baron
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lesley A. Warren
- School of Geography and Earth Science, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Yin Z, Feng S, Tong Y, Yang H. Adaptive mechanism of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans CCTCC M 2012104 under stress during bioleaching of low-grade chalcopyrite based on physiological and comparative transcriptomic analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 46:1643-1656. [DOI: 10.1007/s10295-019-02224-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans (A. thiooxidans) is often used for sulfur-bearing ores bioleaching, but its adaptive mechanism to harsh environments remains unclear. Here, we explored the adaptive mechanism of A. thiooxidans in the process of low-grade chalcopyrite bioleaching based on the physiology and comparative transcriptome analysis. It was indicated that A. thiooxidans maintains intracellular pH homeostasis by regulating unsaturated fatty acids, especially cyclopropane fatty acids, intracellular ATP, amino acid metabolism, and antioxidant factors. Comparative transcriptome analysis indicated that the key genes involved in sulfur oxidation, sor and soxABXYZ, were significantly up-regulated, generating more energy to resist extreme environmental stress by more active sulfur metabolism. Confocal laser scanning microscope analysis found that down-regulation of flagellar-related genes was likely to promote the biofilm formation. System-level understanding of leaching microorganisms under extreme stress can contribute to the evolution of these extremophiles via genetic engineering modification work, which further improves bioleaching in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongwei Yin
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education Wuxi People’s Republic of China
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi People’s Republic of China
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology (Jiangnan University) Ministry of Education Wuxi People’s Republic of China
| | - Shoushuai Feng
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education Wuxi People’s Republic of China
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi People’s Republic of China
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology (Jiangnan University) Ministry of Education Wuxi People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanjun Tong
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology Jiangnan University Wuxi People’s Republic of China
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 School of Food Science and Technology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi People’s Republic of China
| | - Hailin Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology Ministry of Education Wuxi People’s Republic of China
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 School of Biotechnology Jiangnan University 1800 Lihu Road Wuxi People’s Republic of China
- grid.258151.a 0000 0001 0708 1323 Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology (Jiangnan University) Ministry of Education Wuxi People’s Republic of China
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13
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Panyushkina AE, Babenko VV, Nikitina AS, Selezneva OV, Tsaplina IA, Letarova MA, Kostryukova ES, Letarov AV. Sulfobacillus thermotolerans: new insights into resistance and metabolic capacities of acidophilic chemolithotrophs. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15069. [PMID: 31636299 PMCID: PMC6803676 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51486-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The first complete genome of the biotechnologically important species Sulfobacillus thermotolerans has been sequenced. Its 3 317 203-bp chromosome contains an 83 269-bp plasmid-like region, which carries heavy metal resistance determinants and the rusticyanin gene. Plasmid-mediated metal resistance is unusual for acidophilic chemolithotrophs. Moreover, most of their plasmids are cryptic and do not contribute to the phenotype of the host cells. A polyphosphate-based mechanism of metal resistance, which has been previously unknown in the genus Sulfobacillus or other Gram-positive chemolithotrophs, potentially operates in two Sulfobacillus species. The methylcitrate cycle typical for pathogens and identified in the genus Sulfobacillus for the first time can fulfill the energy and/or protective function in S. thermotolerans Kr1 and two other Sulfobacillus species, which have incomplete glyoxylate cycles. It is notable that the TCA cycle, disrupted in all Sulfobacillus isolates under optimal growth conditions, proved to be complete in the cells enduring temperature stress. An efficient antioxidant defense system gives S. thermotolerans another competitive advantage in the microbial communities inhabiting acidic metal-rich environments. The genomic comparisons revealed 80 unique genes in the strain Kr1, including those involved in lactose/galactose catabolism. The results provide new insights into metabolism and resistance mechanisms in the Sulfobacillus genus and other acidophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Panyushkina
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
| | - Vladislav V Babenko
- Federal Medical Biological Agency, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Anastasia S Nikitina
- Federal Medical Biological Agency, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Oksana V Selezneva
- Federal Medical Biological Agency, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Iraida A Tsaplina
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Maria A Letarova
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Elena S Kostryukova
- Federal Medical Biological Agency, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - Andrey V Letarov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, 119071, Russia
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14
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Wang R, Lin JQ, Liu XM, Pang X, Zhang CJ, Yang CL, Gao XY, Lin CM, Li YQ, Li Y, Lin JQ, Chen LX. Sulfur Oxidation in the Acidophilic Autotrophic Acidithiobacillus spp. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3290. [PMID: 30687275 PMCID: PMC6335251 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfur oxidation is an essential component of the earth's sulfur cycle. Acidithiobacillus spp. can oxidize various reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs) with high efficiency to obtain electrons for their autotrophic growth. Strains in this genus have been widely applied in bioleaching and biological desulfurization. Diverse sulfur-metabolic pathways and corresponding regulatory systems have been discovered in these acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The sulfur-metabolic enzymes in Acidithiobacillus spp. can be categorized as elemental sulfur oxidation enzymes (sulfur dioxygenase, sulfur oxygenase reductase, and Hdr-like complex), enzymes in thiosulfate oxidation pathways (tetrathionate intermediate thiosulfate oxidation (S4I) pathway, the sulfur oxidizing enzyme (Sox) system and thiosulfate dehydrogenase), sulfide oxidation enzymes (sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase) and sulfite oxidation pathways/enzymes. The two-component systems (TCSs) are the typical regulation elements for periplasmic thiosulfate metabolism in these autotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Examples are RsrS/RsrR responsible for S4I pathway regulation and TspS/TspR for Sox system regulation. The proposal of sulfur metabolic and regulatory models provide new insights and overall understanding of the sulfur-metabolic processes in Acidithiobacillus spp. The future research directions and existing barriers in the bacterial sulfur metabolism are also emphasized here and the breakthroughs in these areas will accelerate the research on the sulfur oxidation in Acidithiobacillus spp. and other sulfur oxidizers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jian-Qun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lin-Xu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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15
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Assessment of Bioleaching Microbial Community Structure and Function Based on Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies. MINERALS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/min8120596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
It is widely known that bioleaching microorganisms have to cope with the complex extreme environment in which microbial ecology relating to community structure and function varies across environmental types. However, analyses of microbial ecology of bioleaching bacteria is still a challenge. To address this challenge, numerous technologies have been developed. In recent years, high-throughput sequencing technologies enabling comprehensive sequencing analysis of cellular RNA and DNA within the reach of most laboratories have been added to the toolbox of microbial ecology. The next-generation sequencing technology allowing processing DNA sequences can produce available draft genomic sequences of more bioleaching bacteria, which provides the opportunity to predict models of genetic and metabolic potential of bioleaching bacteria and ultimately deepens our understanding of bioleaching microorganism. High-throughput sequencing that focuses on targeted phylogenetic marker 16S rRNA has been effectively applied to characterize the community diversity in an ore leaching environment. RNA-seq, another application of high-throughput sequencing to profile RNA, can be for both mapping and quantifying transcriptome and has demonstrated a high efficiency in quantifying the changing expression level of each transcript under different conditions. It has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for dissecting the relationship between genotype and phenotype, leading to interpreting functional elements of the genome and revealing molecular mechanisms of adaption. This review aims to describe the high-throughput sequencing approach for bioleaching environmental microorganisms, particularly focusing on its application associated with challenges.
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16
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Mucilaginibacter xinganensis sp. nov., a phenanthrene-degrading bacterium isolated from wetland soil. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2018; 112:641-649. [DOI: 10.1007/s10482-018-1194-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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17
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Feng S, Lin X, Tong Y, Huang X, Yang H. Biodesulfurization of sulfide wastewater for elemental sulfur recovery by isolated Halothiobacillus neapolitanus in an internal airlift loop reactor. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 264:244-252. [PMID: 29843112 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.05.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The biodesulfurization of sulfide wastewater for elemental sulfur recovery by isolated Halothiobacillus neapolitanus in an internal airlift loop reactor (IALR) was investigated. The flocculant producer Pseudomonas sp. strain N1-2 was used to deposit the produced elemental sulfur during biodesulfurization. The functional group analysis indicated that biofloculation was closely associated with NH and CO. The biodesulfurization system performed well under moderate water quality fluctuations (1.29-3.88 kg·m-3·d-1 COD; 1.54-3.08 kg·m-3·d-1·S2-) as it maintained stable S2- removal and sulfur flocculation rates. Meanwhile, the qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the transcriptional level of cbbL decreased in the presence of organic carbon, while the expressions of sqr, sat, and cytochrome C3 increased under higher sulfide stress. Moreover, the relative proportions of Halothiobacillus was strengthened via microbial intervention of the LJN1-3 strain. The S2- removal efficiency and elemental sulfur production was further improved by 32.5% and 28.2%, respectively, in an IALR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoushuai Feng
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology (Jiangnan University) Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China; The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China; School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Lin
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology (Jiangnan University) Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China; The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China; School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanjun Tong
- National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Huang
- WUXI City Environmental Technology Co., Ltd, People's Republic of China
| | - Hailin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology (Jiangnan University) Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China; The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China; School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.
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18
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Zhang X, Liu Z, Wei G, Yang F, Liu X. In Silico Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals the Potential Links Between Core Genome of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Its Autotrophic Lifestyle. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1255. [PMID: 29937764 PMCID: PMC6002666 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The coinage “pan-genome” was first introduced dating back to 2005, and was used to elaborate the entire gene repertoire of any given species. Core genome consists of genes shared by all bacterial strains studied and is considered to encode essential functions associated with species’ basic biology and phenotypes, yet its relatedness with bacterial lifestyle of the species remains elusive. We performed the pan-genome analysis of sulfur-oxidizing acidophile Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans as a case study to highlight species’ core genome and its relevance with autotrophic lifestyle of bacterial species. The mathematical modeling based on bacterial genomes of A. thiooxidans species, including a novel strain ZBY isolated from Zambian copper mine plus eight other recognized strains, was attempted to extrapolate the expansion of its pan-genome, suggesting that A. thiooxidans pan-genome is closed. Further investigation revealed a common set of genes, many of which were assigned to metabolic profiles, notably with respect to energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and carbohydrate metabolism. The predicted metabolic profiles of A. thiooxidans were characterized by the fixation of inorganic carbon, assimilation of nitrogen compounds, and aerobic oxidation of various sulfur species. Notably, several hydrogenase (H2ase)-like genes dispersed in core genome might represent the novel classes due to the potential functional disparities, despite being closely related homologous genes that code for H2ase. Overall, the findings shed light on the distinguishing features of A. thiooxidans genomes on a global scale, and extend the understanding of its conserved core genome pertaining to autotrophic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhenghua Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Guanyun Wei
- College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Yang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xueduan Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
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19
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Hart A, Cortés MP, Latorre M, Martinez S. Codon usage bias reveals genomic adaptations to environmental conditions in an acidophilic consortium. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195869. [PMID: 29742107 PMCID: PMC5942774 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The analysis of codon usage bias has been widely used to characterize different communities of microorganisms. In this context, the aim of this work was to study the codon usage bias in a natural consortium of five acidophilic bacteria used for biomining. The codon usage bias of the consortium was contrasted with genes from an alternative collection of acidophilic reference strains and metagenome samples. Results indicate that acidophilic bacteria preferentially have low codon usage bias, consistent with both their capacity to live in a wide range of habitats and their slow growth rate, a characteristic probably acquired independently from their phylogenetic relationships. In addition, the analysis showed significant differences in the unique sets of genes from the autotrophic species of the consortium in relation to other acidophilic organisms, principally in genes which code for proteins involved in metal and oxidative stress resistance. The lower values of codon usage bias obtained in this unique set of genes suggest higher transcriptional adaptation to living in extreme conditions, which was probably acquired as a measure for resisting the elevated metal conditions present in the mine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hart
- UMI 2071 CNRS-UCHILE, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Centro de Modelamiento Matemático, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 170, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile
| | - María Paz Cortés
- Mathomics, Centro de Modelamiento Matemático, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Fondap-Center of Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Latorre
- Mathomics, Centro de Modelamiento Matemático, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Fondap-Center of Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática y Expresión Génica, INTA, Universidad de Chile, Macul, Santiago, Chile
- Universidad de O'Higgins, Instituto de Ciencias de la Ingeniería, Rancagua, Chile
- * E-mail: (ML); (SM)
| | - Servet Martinez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Matemática, UMI 2071 CNRS-UCHILE, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Centro de Modelamiento Matemático, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 170, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail: (ML); (SM)
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20
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Gumulya Y, Boxall NJ, Khaleque HN, Santala V, Carlson RP, Kaksonen AH. In a quest for engineering acidophiles for biomining applications: challenges and opportunities. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E116. [PMID: 29466321 PMCID: PMC5852612 DOI: 10.3390/genes9020116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomining with acidophilic microorganisms has been used at commercial scale for the extraction of metals from various sulfide ores. With metal demand and energy prices on the rise and the concurrent decline in quality and availability of mineral resources, there is an increasing interest in applying biomining technology, in particular for leaching metals from low grade minerals and wastes. However, bioprocessing is often hampered by the presence of inhibitory compounds that originate from complex ores. Synthetic biology could provide tools to improve the tolerance of biomining microbes to various stress factors that are present in biomining environments, which would ultimately increase bioleaching efficiency. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art tools to genetically modify acidophilic biomining microorganisms and the limitations of these tools. The first part of this review discusses resilience pathways that can be engineered in acidophiles to enhance their robustness and tolerance in harsh environments that prevail in bioleaching. The second part of the paper reviews the efforts that have been carried out towards engineering robust microorganisms and developing metabolic modelling tools. Novel synthetic biology tools have the potential to transform the biomining industry and facilitate the extraction of value from ores and wastes that cannot be processed with existing biomining microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosephine Gumulya
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Floreat WA 6014, Australia.
| | - Naomi J Boxall
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Floreat WA 6014, Australia.
| | - Himel N Khaleque
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Floreat WA 6014, Australia.
| | - Ville Santala
- Laboratory of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Tampere, 33101, Finland.
| | - Ross P Carlson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University (MSU), Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
| | - Anna H Kaksonen
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Floreat WA 6014, Australia.
- School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
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21
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Wang R, Lin C, Lin J, Pang X, Liu X, Zhang C, Lin J, Chen L. Construction of novel pJRD215-derived plasmids using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) gene as a selection marker for Acidithiobacillus caldus. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183307. [PMID: 28813510 PMCID: PMC5559103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acidithiobacillus caldus, a Gram-negative, chemolithotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, is widely applied in bioleaching. The absence of an ideal selection marker has become a major obstacle to achieve high efficiency of the gene transfer system for A. caldus. Plasmid pJRD215, widely used in Acidithiobacillus spp., has severe drawbacks in molecular manipulations and potential biosafety issues due to its mobility. Therefore, finding a new selection marker and constructing new plasmids have become an urgent and fundamental work for A. caldus. RESULTS Effective inhibitory effect of chloramphenicol on the growth of A. caldus was elucidated for the first time. The P2-cat gene cassette, including a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (cat) from plasmid pACBSR and a promoter (P2) upstream of the tetracycline resistance gene on pBR322, was designed, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase was expressed in A. caldus, and the enzyme activity was assessed. A new vector pSDU1 carrying the replication and mobilization regions derived from pJRD215, the P2-cat gene cassette and a multiple cloning site from pUC19 was successfully constructed. Compared with pJRD215, pSDU1 had a 27-fold increase in electrotransformation efficiency (30.43±0.88×104 CFU/μg DNA for pSDU1 and 1.09±0.11×104 CFU/μg DNA for pJRD215), better carrying capacity and could offer more convenience for the restriction enzyme digestion. In addition, the generated plasmid pSDU1Δmob, a novel non-mobilizable derivative of pSDU1 lacking some DNA sequences involved in the mobilization process, had increased copy number in A. caldus and lost its mobility for biosafety considerations. Both pSDU1 and pSDU1Δmob exhibited stable maintenance in A. caldus within 50 passages. However, further deletion of orfEF region involved in regulating repAC operon resulted in a negative effect on transformation efficiency, copy number and stability of plasmid pSDU1ΔmobΔorfEF in A. caldus. CONCLUSION Chloramphenicol was proved to be an ideal selection marker for A. caldus. Novel plasmids carrying cat gene were constructed. The utilization of these vectors will undoubtedly facilitate efficient genetic manipulations and accelerate the research progress in A. caldus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chunmao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianqiang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xin Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiangmei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chengjia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianqun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Linxu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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22
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Tran TTT, Mangenot S, Magdelenat G, Payen E, Rouy Z, Belahbib H, Grail BM, Johnson DB, Bonnefoy V, Talla E. Comparative Genome Analysis Provides Insights into Both the Lifestyle of Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans Strain CF27 and the Chimeric Nature of the Iron-Oxidizing Acidithiobacilli Genomes. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1009. [PMID: 28659871 PMCID: PMC5468388 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The iron-oxidizing species Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans is one of few acidophiles able to oxidize ferrous iron and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds at low temperatures (<10°C). To complete the genome of At. ferrivorans strain CF27, new sequences were generated, and an update assembly and functional annotation were undertaken, followed by a comparative analysis with other Acidithiobacillus species whose genomes are publically available. The At. ferrivorans CF27 genome comprises a 3,409,655 bp chromosome and a 46,453 bp plasmid. At. ferrivorans CF27 possesses genes allowing its adaptation to cold, metal(loid)-rich environments, as well as others that enable it to sense environmental changes, allowing At. ferrivorans CF27 to escape hostile conditions and to move toward favorable locations. Interestingly, the genome of At. ferrivorans CF27 exhibits a large number of genomic islands (mostly containing genes of unknown function), suggesting that a large number of genes has been acquired by horizontal gene transfer over time. Furthermore, several genes specific to At. ferrivorans CF27 have been identified that could be responsible for the phenotypic differences of this strain compared to other Acidithiobacillus species. Most genes located inside At. ferrivorans CF27-specific gene clusters which have been analyzed were expressed by both ferrous iron-grown and sulfur-attached cells, indicating that they are not pseudogenes and may play a role in both situations. Analysis of the taxonomic composition of genomes of the Acidithiobacillia infers that they are chimeric in nature, supporting the premise that they belong to a particular taxonomic class, distinct to other proteobacterial subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam T T Tran
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LCBMarseille, France
| | - Sophie Mangenot
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire pour l'Etude des Génomes, C.E.A., Institut de Génomique - GenoscopeEvry, France
| | - Ghislaine Magdelenat
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire pour l'Etude des Génomes, C.E.A., Institut de Génomique - GenoscopeEvry, France
| | - Emilie Payen
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire pour l'Etude des Génomes, C.E.A., Institut de Génomique - GenoscopeEvry, France
| | - Zoé Rouy
- CNRS UMR8030, CEA/DSV/IG/Genoscope, Laboratoire d'Analyses Bioinformatiques pour la Génomique et le MétabolismeEvry, France
| | | | - Barry M Grail
- College of Natural Sciences, Bangor UniversityBangor, United Kingdom
| | - D Barrie Johnson
- College of Natural Sciences, Bangor UniversityBangor, United Kingdom
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23
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Zhang X, Liu X, Liang Y, Xiao Y, Ma L, Guo X, Miao B, Liu H, Peng D, Huang W, Yin H. Comparative Genomics Unravels the Functional Roles of Co-occurring Acidophilic Bacteria in Bioleaching Heaps. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:790. [PMID: 28529505 PMCID: PMC5418355 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatial-temporal distribution of populations in various econiches is thought to be potentially related to individual differences in the utilization of nutrients or other resources, but their functional roles in the microbial communities remain elusive. We compared differentiation in gene repertoire and metabolic profiles, with a focus on the potential functional traits of three commonly recognized members (Acidithiobacillus caldus, Leptospirillum ferriphilum, and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans) in bioleaching heaps. Comparative genomics revealed that intra-species divergence might be driven by horizontal gene transfer. These co-occurring bacteria shared a few homologous genes, which significantly suggested the genomic differences between these organisms. Notably, relatively more genes assigned to the Clusters of Orthologous Groups category [G] (carbohydrate transport and metabolism) were identified in Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans compared to the two other species, which probably indicated their mixotrophic capabilities that assimilate both organic and inorganic forms of carbon. Further inspection revealed distinctive metabolic capabilities involving carbon assimilation, nitrogen uptake, and iron-sulfur cycling, providing robust evidence for functional differences with respect to nutrient utilization. Therefore, we proposed that the mutual compensation of functionalities among these co-occurring organisms might provide a selective advantage for efficiently utilizing the limited resources in their habitats. Furthermore, it might be favorable to chemoautotrophs' lifestyles to form mutualistic interactions with these heterotrophic and/or mixotrophic acidophiles, whereby the latter could degrade organic compounds to effectively detoxify the environments. Collectively, the findings shed light on the genetic traits and potential metabolic activities of these organisms, and enable us to make some inferences about genomic and functional differences that might allow them to co-exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Zhang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Xueduan Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Yili Liang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Yunhua Xiao
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Liyuan Ma
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Xue Guo
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Bo Miao
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Hongwei Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Deliang Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Wenkun Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
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24
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Li X, Kappler U, Jiang G, Bond PL. The Ecology of Acidophilic Microorganisms in the Corroding Concrete Sewer Environment. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:683. [PMID: 28473816 PMCID: PMC5397505 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Concrete corrosion is one of the most significant problems affecting valuable sewer infrastructure on a global scale. This problem occurs in the aerobic zone of the sewer, where a layer of surface corrosion develops on the exposed concrete and the surface pH is typically lowered from around 11–10 (pristine concrete) to pH 2–4. Acidophilic microorganisms become established as biofilms within the concrete corrosion layer and enhance the loss of concrete mass. Until recently, the acidophilic community was considered to comprise relatively few species of microorganisms, however, the biodiversity of the corrosion community is now recognized as being extensive and varying from different sewer environmental conditions. The diversity of acidophiles in the corrosion communities includes chemolithoautotrophs, chemolithoheterotrophs, and chemoorganoheterotrophs. The activity of these microorganisms is strongly affected by H2S levels in the sewer gas phase, although CO2, organic matter, and iron in the corrosion layer influence this acidic ecosystem. This paper briefly presents the conditions within the sewer that lead to the development of concrete corrosion in that environment. The review focuses on the acidophilic microorganisms detected in sewer corrosion environments, and then summarizes their proposed functions and physiology, especially in relation to the corrosion process. To our knowledge, this is the first review of acidophilic corrosion microbial communities, in which, the ecology and the environmental conditions (when available) are considered. Ecological studies of sewer corrosion are limited, however, where possible, we summarize the important metabolic functions of the different acidophilic species detected in sewer concrete corrosion layers. It is evident that microbial functions in the acidic sewer corrosion environment can be linked to those occurring in the analogous acidic environments of acid mine drainage and bioleaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Li
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Ulrike Kappler
- Centre for Metals in Biology, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Guangming Jiang
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
| | - Philip L Bond
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, BrisbaneQLD, Australia
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25
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Zhang M, Liu X, Li Y, Wang G, Wang Z, Wen J. Microbial community and metabolic pathway succession driven by changed nutrient inputs in tailings: effects of different nutrients on tailing remediation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:474. [PMID: 28352108 PMCID: PMC5428726 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00580-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
To solve the competition problem of acidophilic bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria in the practical application of mine tailing bioremediation, research into the mechanisms of using different nutrients to adjust the microbial community was conducted. Competition experiments involving acidophilic bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria were performed by supplementing the media with yeast extract, tryptone, lactate, and glucose. The physiochemical properties were determined, and the microbial community structure and biomass were investigated using MiSeq sequencing and qRT-PCR, respectively. Four nutrients had different remediation mechanisms and yielded different remediation effects. Yeast extract and tryptone (more than 1.6 g/L) promoted sulfate-reducing bacteria and inhibited acidophilic bacteria. Lactate inhibited both sulfate-reducing and acidophilic bacteria. Glucose promoted acidophilic bacteria more than sulfate-reducing bacteria. Yeast extract was the best choice for adjusting the microbial community and bioremediation, followed by tryptone. Lactate kept the physiochemical properties stable or made slight improvements; however, glucose was not suitable for mine tailing remediation. Different nutrients had significant effects on the abundance of the second enzyme of the sulfate-reducing pathway (p < 0.05), which is the rate-limiting step of sulfate-reducing pathways. Nutrients changed the remediation effects effectively by adjusting the microbial community and the abundance of the sulfate-reducing rate-limiting enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjiang Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy, General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, No. 2 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy, General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, No. 2 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100088, China.
| | - Yibin Li
- National Engineering Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy, General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, No. 2 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Guangyuan Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy, General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, No. 2 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Zining Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy, General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, No. 2 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Jiankang Wen
- National Engineering Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy, General Research Institute for Nonferrous Metals, No. 2 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100088, China
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26
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Nuñez H, Moya-Beltrán A, Covarrubias PC, Issotta F, Cárdenas JP, González M, Atavales J, Acuña LG, Johnson DB, Quatrini R. Molecular Systematics of the Genus Acidithiobacillus: Insights into the Phylogenetic Structure and Diversification of the Taxon. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:30. [PMID: 28154559 PMCID: PMC5243848 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The acidithiobacilli are sulfur-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria that thrive in both natural and anthropogenic low pH environments. They contribute to processes that lead to the generation of acid rock drainage in several different geoclimatic contexts, and their properties have long been harnessed for the biotechnological processing of minerals. Presently, the genus is composed of seven validated species, described between 1922 and 2015: Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, A. ferrooxidans, A. albertensis, A. caldus, A. ferrivorans, A. ferridurans, and A. ferriphilus. However, a large number of Acidithiobacillus strains and sequence clones have been obtained from a variety of ecological niches over the years, and many isolates are thought to vary in phenotypic properties and cognate genetic traits. Moreover, many isolates remain unclassified and several conflicting specific assignments muddle the picture from an evolutionary standpoint. Here we revise the phylogenetic relationships within this species complex and determine the phylogenetic species boundaries using three different typing approaches with varying degrees of resolution: 16S rRNA gene-based ribotyping, oligotyping, and multi-locus sequencing analysis (MLSA). To this end, the 580 16S rRNA gene sequences affiliated to the Acidithiobacillus spp. were collected from public and private databases and subjected to a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis. Oligotyping was used to profile high-entropy nucleotide positions and resolve meaningful differences between closely related strains at the 16S rRNA gene level. Due to its greater discriminatory power, MLSA was used as a proxy for genome-wide divergence in a smaller but representative set of strains. Results obtained indicate that there is still considerable unexplored diversity within this genus. At least six new lineages or phylotypes, supported by the different methods used herein, are evident within the Acidithiobacillus species complex. Although the diagnostic characteristics of these subgroups of strains are as yet unresolved, correlations to specific metadata hint to the mechanisms behind econiche-driven divergence of some of the species/phylotypes identified. The emerging phylogenetic structure for the genus outlined in this study can be used to guide isolate selection for future population genomics and evolutionary studies in this important acidophile model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold Nuñez
- Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile
| | - Ana Moya-Beltrán
- Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Andres Bello UniversitySantiago, Chile
| | | | - Francisco Issotta
- Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile
| | | | - Mónica González
- Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile
| | - Joaquín Atavales
- Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile
| | - Lillian G. Acuña
- Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile
| | | | - Raquel Quatrini
- Microbial Ecophysiology Laboratory, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile
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27
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González C, Lazcano M, Valdés J, Holmes DS. Bioinformatic Analyses of Unique (Orphan) Core Genes of the Genus Acidithiobacillus: Functional Inferences and Use As Molecular Probes for Genomic and Metagenomic/Transcriptomic Interrogation. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:2035. [PMID: 28082953 PMCID: PMC5186765 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Using phylogenomic and gene compositional analyses, five highly conserved gene families have been detected in the core genome of the phylogenetically coherent genus Acidithiobacillus of the class Acidithiobacillia. These core gene families are absent in the closest extant genus Thermithiobacillus tepidarius that subtends the Acidithiobacillus genus and roots the deepest in this class. The predicted proteins encoded by these core gene families are not detected by a BLAST search in the NCBI non-redundant database of more than 90 million proteins using a relaxed cut-off of 1.0e−5. None of the five families has a clear functional prediction. However, bioinformatic scrutiny, using pI prediction, motif/domain searches, cellular location predictions, genomic context analyses, and chromosome topology studies together with previously published transcriptomic and proteomic data, suggests that some may have functions associated with membrane remodeling during cell division perhaps in response to pH stress. Despite the high level of amino acid sequence conservation within each family, there is sufficient nucleotide variation of the respective genes to permit the use of the DNA sequences to distinguish different species of Acidithiobacillus, making them useful additions to the armamentarium of tools for phylogenetic analysis. Since the protein families are unique to the Acidithiobacillus genus, they can also be leveraged as probes to detect the genus in environmental metagenomes and metatranscriptomes, including industrial biomining operations, and acid mine drainage (AMD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina González
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres BelloSantiago, Chile
| | - Marcelo Lazcano
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres BelloSantiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Valdés
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Mayor Santiago, Chile
| | - David S Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & VidaSantiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres BelloSantiago, Chile
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28
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Zhang X, Liu X, He Q, Dong W, Zhang X, Fan F, Peng D, Huang W, Yin H. Gene Turnover Contributes to the Evolutionary Adaptation of Acidithiobacillus caldus: Insights from Comparative Genomics. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1960. [PMID: 27999570 PMCID: PMC5138436 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acidithiobacillus caldus is an extremely acidophilic sulfur-oxidizer with specialized characteristics, such as tolerance to low pH and heavy metal resistance. To gain novel insights into its genetic complexity, we chosen six A. caldus strains for comparative survey. All strains analyzed in this study differ in geographic origins as well as in ecological preferences. Based on phylogenomic analysis, we clustered the six A. caldus strains isolated from various ecological niches into two groups: group 1 strains with smaller genomes and group 2 strains with larger genomes. We found no obvious intraspecific divergence with respect to predicted genes that are related to central metabolism and stress management strategies between these two groups. Although numerous highly homogeneous genes were observed, high genetic diversity was also detected. Preliminary inspection provided a first glimpse of the potential correlation between intraspecific diversity at the genome level and environmental variation, especially geochemical conditions. Evolutionary genetic analyses further showed evidence that the difference in environmental conditions might be a crucial factor to drive the divergent evolution of A. caldus species. We identified a diverse pool of mobile genetic elements including insertion sequences and genomic islands, which suggests a high frequency of genetic exchange in these harsh habitats. Comprehensive analysis revealed that gene gains and losses were both dominant evolutionary forces that directed the genomic diversification of A. caldus species. For instance, horizontal gene transfer and gene duplication events in group 2 strains might contribute to an increase in microbial DNA content and novel functions. Moreover, genomes undergo extensive changes in group 1 strains such as removal of potential non-functional DNA, which results in the formation of compact and streamlined genomes. Taken together, the findings presented herein show highly frequent gene turnover of A. caldus species that inhabit extremely acidic environments, and shed new light on the contribution of gene turnover to the evolutionary adaptation of acidophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Zhang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Xueduan Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN, USA
| | - Weiling Dong
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University Changsha, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Fenliang Fan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Deliang Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Wenkun Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South UniversityChangsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South UniversityChangsha, China
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29
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Wang ZB, Li YQ, Lin JQ, Pang X, Liu XM, Liu BQ, Wang R, Zhang CJ, Wu Y, Lin JQ, Chen LX. The Two-Component System RsrS-RsrR Regulates the Tetrathionate Intermediate Pathway for Thiosulfate Oxidation in Acidithiobacillus caldus. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1755. [PMID: 27857710 PMCID: PMC5093147 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Acidithiobacillus caldus (A. caldus) is a common bioleaching bacterium that possesses a sophisticated and highly efficient inorganic sulfur compound metabolism network. Thiosulfate, a central intermediate in the sulfur metabolism network of A. caldus and other sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms, can be metabolized via the tetrathionate intermediate (S4I) pathway catalyzed by thiosulfate:quinol oxidoreductase (Tqo or DoxDA) and tetrathionate hydrolase (TetH). In A. caldus, there is an additional two-component system called RsrS-RsrR. Since rsrS and rsrR are arranged as an operon with doxDA and tetH in the genome, we suggest that the regulation of the S4I pathway may occur via the RsrS-RsrR system. To examine the regulatory role of the two-component system RsrS-RsrR on the S4I pathway, ΔrsrR and ΔrsrS strains were constructed in A. caldus using a newly developed markerless gene knockout method. Transcriptional analysis of the tetH cluster in the wild type and mutant strains revealed positive regulation of the S4I pathway by the RsrS-RsrR system. A 19 bp inverted repeat sequence (IRS, AACACCTGTTACACCTGTT) located upstream of the tetH promoter was identified as the binding site for RsrR by using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) in vitro and promoter-probe vectors in vivo. In addition, ΔrsrR, and ΔrsrS strains cultivated in K2S4O6-medium exhibited significant growth differences when compared with the wild type. Transcriptional analysis indicated that the absence of rsrS or rsrR had different effects on the expression of genes involved in sulfur metabolism and signaling systems. Finally, a model of tetrathionate sensing by RsrS, signal transduction via RsrR, and transcriptional activation of tetH-doxDA was proposed to provide insights toward the understanding of sulfur metabolism in A. caldus. This study also provided a powerful genetic tool for studies in A. caldus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Bao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Ya-Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Jian-Qun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Xin Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Xiang-Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | | | - Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Cheng-Jia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Yan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Jian-Qiang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
| | - Lin-Xu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University Jinan, China
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30
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Martínez-Bussenius C, Navarro CA, Jerez CA. Microbial copper resistance: importance in biohydrometallurgy. Microb Biotechnol 2016; 10:279-295. [PMID: 27790868 PMCID: PMC5328820 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Industrial biomining has been extensively used for many years to recover valuable metals such as copper, gold, uranium and others. Furthermore, microorganisms involved in these processes can also be used to bioremediate places contaminated with acid and metals. These uses are possible due to the great metal resistance that these extreme acidophilic microorganisms possess. In this review, the most recent findings related to copper resistance mechanisms of bacteria and archaea related to biohydrometallurgy are described. The recent search for novel metal resistance determinants is not only of scientific interest but also of industrial importance, as reflected by the genomic sequencing of microorganisms present in mining operations and the search of those bacteria with extreme metal resistance to improve the extraction processes used by the biomining companies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristóbal Martínez-Bussenius
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudio A Navarro
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos A Jerez
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
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31
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Zhang X, Liu X, Liang Y, Fan F, Zhang X, Yin H. Metabolic diversity and adaptive mechanisms of iron- and/or sulfur-oxidizing autotrophic acidophiles in extremely acidic environments. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 8:738-751. [PMID: 27337207 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying the survival and growth of certain organisms in extremely acidic environments known to be harmful to most prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Acidithiobacillus and Leptospirillum spp. are dominant bioleaching bacteria widely used in bioleaching systems, which are characterized by extremely acidic environments. To survive and grow in such settings, these acidophiles utilize shared molecular mechanisms that allow life in extreme conditions. In this review, we have summarized the results of published genomic analyses, which underscore the ability of iron- and/or sulfur-oxidizing autotrophic acidophiles belonging to the genera Acidithiobacillus and Leptospirillum to adapt to acidic environmental conditions. Several lines of evidence point at the metabolic diversity and multiplicity of pathways involved in the survival of these organisms. The ability to thrive in adverse environments requires versatile activation of structural and functional adaptive responses, including bacterial adhesion, motility, and resistance to heavy metals. We have highlighted recent developments centered on the key survival mechanisms employed by dominant extremophiles, and have laid the foundation for future studies focused on the ability of acidophiles to thrive in extremely acidic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Zhang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xueduan Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yili Liang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fenliang Fan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Zhang X, She S, Dong W, Niu J, Xiao Y, Liang Y, Liu X, Zhang X, Fan F, Yin H. Comparative genomics unravels metabolic differences at the species and/or strain level and extremely acidic environmental adaptation of ten bacteria belonging to the genus Acidithiobacillus. Syst Appl Microbiol 2016; 39:493-502. [PMID: 27712915 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Members of the Acidithiobacillus genus are widely found in extreme environments characterized by low pH and high concentrations of toxic substances, thus it is necessary to identify the cellular mechanisms needed to cope with these harsh conditions. Pan-genome analysis of ten bacteria belonging to the genus Acidithiobacillus suggested the existence of core genome, most of which were assigned to the metabolism-associated genes. Additionally, the unique genes of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans were much less than those of other species. A large proportion of Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans-specific genes were mapped especially to metabolism-related genes, indicating that diverse metabolic pathways might confer an advantage for adaptation to local environmental conditions. Analyses of functional metabolisms revealed the differences of carbon metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and sulfur metabolism at the species and/or strain level. The findings also showed that Acidithiobacillus spp. harbored specific adaptive mechanisms for thriving under extreme environments. The genus Acidithiobacillus had the genetic potential to resist and metabolize toxic substances such as heavy metals and organic solvents. Comparison across species and/or strains of Acidithiobacillus populations provided a deeper appreciation of metabolic differences and environmental adaptation, as well as highlighting the importance of cellular mechanisms that maintain the basal physiological functions under complex acidic environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Zhang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Siyuan She
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Weiling Dong
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Jiaojiao Niu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Yunhua Xiao
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Yili Liang
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Xueduan Liu
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China; Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Fenliang Fan
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China; Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy, Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Cárdenas JP, Quatrini R, Holmes DS. Genomic and metagenomic challenges and opportunities for bioleaching: a mini-review. Res Microbiol 2016; 167:529-38. [PMID: 27394987 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
High-throughput genomic technologies are accelerating progress in understanding the diversity of microbial life in many environments. Here we highlight advances in genomics and metagenomics of microorganisms from bioleaching heaps and related acidic mining environments. Bioleaching heaps used for copper recovery provide significant opportunities to study the processes and mechanisms underlying microbial successions and the influence of community composition on ecosystem functioning. Obtaining quantitative and process-level knowledge of these dynamics is pivotal for understanding how microorganisms contribute to the solubilization of copper for industrial recovery. Advances in DNA sequencing technology provide unprecedented opportunities to obtain information about the genomes of bioleaching microorganisms, allowing predictive models of metabolic potential and ecosystem-level interactions to be constructed. These approaches are enabling predictive phenotyping of organisms many of which are recalcitrant to genetic approaches or are unculturable. This mini-review describes current bioleaching genomic and metagenomic projects and addresses the use of genome information to: (i) build metabolic models; (ii) predict microbial interactions; (iii) estimate genetic diversity; and (iv) study microbial evolution. Key challenges and perspectives of bioleaching genomics/metagenomics are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David S Holmes
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
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Ullrich SR, Poehlein A, Tischler JS, González C, Ossandon FJ, Daniel R, Holmes DS, Schlömann M, Mühling M. Genome Analysis of the Biotechnologically Relevant Acidophilic Iron Oxidising Strain JA12 Indicates Phylogenetic and Metabolic Diversity within the Novel Genus "Ferrovum". PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146832. [PMID: 26808278 PMCID: PMC4725956 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Members of the genus “Ferrovum” are ubiquitously distributed in acid mine drainage (AMD) waters which are characterised by their high metal and sulfate loads. So far isolation and microbiological characterisation have only been successful for the designated type strain “Ferrovum myxofaciens” P3G. Thus, knowledge about physiological characteristics and the phylogeny of the genus “Ferrovum” is extremely scarce. Objective In order to access the wider genetic pool of the genus “Ferrovum” we sequenced the genome of a “Ferrovum”-containing mixed culture and successfully assembled the almost complete genome sequence of the novel “Ferrovum” strain JA12. Phylogeny and Lifestyle The genome-based phylogenetic analysis indicates that strain JA12 and the type strain represent two distinct “Ferrovum” species. “Ferrovum” strain JA12 is characterised by an unusually small genome in comparison to the type strain and other iron oxidising bacteria. The prediction of nutrient assimilation pathways suggests that “Ferrovum” strain JA12 maintains a chemolithoautotrophic lifestyle utilising carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, ammonium and urea, sulfate, phosphate and ferrous iron as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous and energy sources, respectively. Unique Metabolic Features The potential utilisation of urea by “Ferrovum” strain JA12 is moreover remarkable since it may furthermore represent a strategy among extreme acidophiles to cope with the acidic environment. Unlike other acidophilic chemolithoautotrophs “Ferrovum” strain JA12 exhibits a complete tricarboxylic acid cycle, a metabolic feature shared with the closer related neutrophilic iron oxidisers among the Betaproteobacteria including Sideroxydans lithotrophicus and Thiobacillus denitrificans. Furthermore, the absence of characteristic redox proteins involved in iron oxidation in the well-studied acidophiles Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (rusticyanin) and Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans (iron oxidase) indicates the existence of a modified pathway in “Ferrovum” strain JA12. Therefore, the results of the present study extend our understanding of the genus “Ferrovum” and provide a comprehensive framework for future comparative genome and metagenome studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie R. Ullrich
- Institute of Biological Sciences, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Straße 29, Freiberg, Germany
- * E-mail: (SRU); (MM)
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Grisebachstraße 8, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Judith S. Tischler
- Institute of Biological Sciences, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Straße 29, Freiberg, Germany
| | - Carolina González
- Center for System Biotechnology, Bio-Computing Division and Applied Genetics Division, Fraunhofer Chile Research Foundation, Avenida Mariano Sánchez Fontecilla 310, Santiago, Chile, and Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Zañartu 1482, and Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Avenida Los Leones 745, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco J. Ossandon
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Zañartu 1482 and Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Avenida Los Leones 745, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rolf Daniel
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Grisebachstraße 8, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David S. Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia y Vida, Zañartu 1482 and Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Avenida Los Leones 745, Santiago, Chile
| | - Michael Schlömann
- Institute of Biological Sciences, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Straße 29, Freiberg, Germany
| | - Martin Mühling
- Institute of Biological Sciences, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Straße 29, Freiberg, Germany
- * E-mail: (SRU); (MM)
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Complete genome sequence of the molybdenum-resistant bacterium Bacillus subtilis strain LM 4-2. Stand Genomic Sci 2015; 10:127. [PMID: 26664656 PMCID: PMC4674931 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-015-0118-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis LM 4–2, a Gram-positive bacterium was isolated from a molybdenum mine in Luoyang city. Due to its strong resistance to molybdate and potential utilization in bioremediation of molybdate-polluted area, we describe the features of this organism, as well as its complete genome sequence and annotation. The genome was composed of a circular 4,069,266 bp chromosome with average GC content of 43.83 %, which included 4149 predicted ORFs and 116 RNA genes. Additionally, 687 transporter-coding and 116 redox protein-coding genes were identified in the strain LM 4–2 genome.
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Lin KH, Liao BY, Chang HW, Huang SW, Chang TY, Yang CY, Wang YB, Lin YTK, Wu YW, Tang SL, Yu HT. Metabolic characteristics of dominant microbes and key rare species from an acidic hot spring in Taiwan revealed by metagenomics. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:1029. [PMID: 26630941 PMCID: PMC4668684 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2230-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microbial diversity and community structures in acidic hot springs have been characterized by 16S rRNA gene-based diversity surveys. However, our understanding regarding the interactions among microbes, or between microbes and environmental factors, remains limited. Results In the present study, a metagenomic approach, followed by bioinformatics analyses, were used to predict interactions within the microbial ecosystem in Shi-Huang-Ping (SHP), an acidic hot spring in northern Taiwan. Characterizing environmental parameters and potential metabolic pathways highlighted the importance of carbon assimilatory pathways. Four distinct carbon assimilatory pathways were identified in five dominant genera of bacteria. Of those dominant carbon fixers, Hydrogenobaculum bacteria outcompeted other carbon assimilators and dominated the SHP, presumably due to their ability to metabolize hydrogen and to withstand an anaerobic environment with fluctuating temperatures. Furthermore, most dominant microbes were capable of metabolizing inorganic sulfur-related compounds (abundant in SHP). However, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was the only species among key rare microbes with the capability to fix nitrogen, suggesting a key role in nitrogen cycling. In addition to potential metabolic interactions, based on the 16S rRNAs gene sequence of Nanoarchaeum-related and its potential host Ignicoccus-related archaea, as well as sequences of viruses and CRISPR arrays, we inferred that there were complex microbe-microbe interactions. Conclusions Our study provided evidence that there were numerous microbe-microbe and microbe-environment interactions within the microbial community in an acidic hot spring. We proposed that Hydrogenobaculum bacteria were the dominant microbial genus, as they were able to metabolize hydrogen, assimilate carbon and live in an anaerobic environment with fluctuating temperatures. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2230-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuei-Han Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Ben-Yang Liao
- Division of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan Town, Miaoli County, 35053, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Hao-Wei Chang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China. .,Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
| | - Shiao-Wei Huang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Ting-Yan Chang
- Division of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan Town, Miaoli County, 35053, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Cheng-Yu Yang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Yu-Bin Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China. .,Institute of Information Science, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Yu-Teh Kirk Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China. .,Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Yu-Wei Wu
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA. .,Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Sen-Lin Tang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China.
| | - Hon-Tsen Yu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China. .,Degree Program of Genome and Systems Biology, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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Sulfur Oxygenase Reductase (Sor) in the Moderately Thermoacidophilic Leaching Bacteria: Studies in Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans and Acidithiobacillus caldus. Microorganisms 2015; 3:707-24. [PMID: 27682113 PMCID: PMC5023260 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms3040707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The sulfur oxygenase reductase (Sor) catalyzes the oxygen dependent disproportionation of elemental sulfur, producing sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfide. Being considered an “archaeal like” enzyme, it is also encoded in the genomes of some acidophilic leaching bacteria such as Acidithiobacillus caldus, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans, among others. We measured Sor activity in crude extracts from Sb. thermosulfidooxidans DSM 9293T. The optimum temperature for its oxygenase activity was achieved at 75 °C, confirming the “thermophilic” nature of this enzyme. Additionally, a search for genes probably involved in sulfur metabolism in the genome sequence of Sb. thermosulfidooxidans DSM 9293T was done. Interestingly, no sox genes were found. Two sor genes, a complete heterodisulfidereductase (hdr) gene cluster, three tetrathionate hydrolase (tth) genes, three sulfide quinonereductase (sqr), as well as the doxD component of a thiosulfate quinonereductase (tqo) were found. Seven At. caldus strains were tested for Sor activity, which was not detected in any of them. We provide evidence that an earlier reported Sor activity from At. caldus S1 and S2 strains most likely was due to the presence of a Sulfobacillus contaminant.
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Méndez-García C, Peláez AI, Mesa V, Sánchez J, Golyshina OV, Ferrer M. Microbial diversity and metabolic networks in acid mine drainage habitats. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:475. [PMID: 26074887 PMCID: PMC4448039 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid mine drainage (AMD) emplacements are low-complexity natural systems. Low-pH conditions appear to be the main factor underlying the limited diversity of the microbial populations thriving in these environments, although temperature, ionic composition, total organic carbon, and dissolved oxygen are also considered to significantly influence their microbial life. This natural reduction in diversity driven by extreme conditions was reflected in several studies on the microbial populations inhabiting the various micro-environments present in such ecosystems. Early studies based on the physiology of the autochthonous microbiota and the growing success of omics-based methodologies have enabled a better understanding of microbial ecology and function in low-pH mine outflows; however, complementary omics-derived data should be included to completely describe their microbial ecology. Furthermore, recent updates on the distribution of eukaryotes and archaea recovered through sterile filtering (herein referred to as filterable fraction) in these environments demand their inclusion in the microbial characterization of AMD systems. In this review, we present a complete overview of the bacterial, archaeal (including filterable fraction), and eukaryotic diversity in these ecosystems, and include a thorough depiction of the metabolism and element cycling in AMD habitats. We also review different metabolic network structures at the organismal level, which is necessary to disentangle the role of each member of the AMD communities described thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana I. Peláez
- Department of Functional Biology-IUBA, Universidad de OviedoOviedo, Spain
| | - Victoria Mesa
- Department of Functional Biology-IUBA, Universidad de OviedoOviedo, Spain
| | - Jesús Sánchez
- Department of Functional Biology-IUBA, Universidad de OviedoOviedo, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Ferrer
- Department of Applied Biocatalysis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Institute of CatalysisMadrid, Spain
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Nuñez H, Loyola D, Cárdenas JP, Holmes DS, Johnson DB, Quatrini R. Multi Locus Sequence Typing scheme for Acidithiobacillus caldus strain evaluation and differentiation. Res Microbiol 2014; 165:735-42. [PMID: 25176612 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2014.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Revised: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic, metabolic and genetic properties of several Acidithiobacillus caldus strains indicate the existence of as yet undefined levels of variation within the species. Inspite of this, intraspecies genetic diversity has not yet been explored in detail. In this study, the design and implementation of a Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) scheme for At. caldus is described. This represents the first MLST-based study applied to industrial isolates of the species. Seven informative and discriminant MLST markers were selected using a sequence-driven approach and a custom-designed bioinformatic pipeline. The allelic profiles of thirteen At. caldus strains from diverse geographical origins and industrial settings were derived using this scheme. MLST-based population structure analysis indicated only moderate amounts of genetic diversity within the set of strains, further supporting their current assignment to a single species. Also, no clear evidence for geographical isolation could be derived from this study. However, the prevalence of sequence type 1 in heap leaching industrial settings support the view that bioprocess conditions and dynamics may have a strong influence on At. caldus (microbial) microdiversity patterns. The MLST scheme presented herein is a valuable tool for the identification and classification of strains of At. caldus for either ecological or evolutionary studies and possibly also for industrial monitoring purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Loyola
- National Center for Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Cárdenas
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Andres Bello University, Santiago, Chile
| | - David S Holmes
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Andres Bello University, Santiago, Chile
| | - D Barrie Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, LL572UW Bangor, UK
| | - Raquel Quatrini
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Andres Bello University, Santiago, Chile.
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Liu LJ, Stockdreher Y, Koch T, Sun ST, Fan Z, Josten M, Sahl HG, Wang Q, Luo YM, Liu SJ, Dahl C, Jiang CY. Thiosulfate transfer mediated by DsrE/TusA homologs from acidothermophilic sulfur-oxidizing archaeon Metallosphaera cuprina. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:26949-26959. [PMID: 25122768 PMCID: PMC4175335 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.591669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Conserved clusters of genes encoding DsrE and TusA homologs occur in many archaeal and bacterial sulfur oxidizers. TusA has a well documented function as a sulfurtransferase in tRNA modification and molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, and DsrE is an active site subunit of the DsrEFH complex that is essential for sulfur trafficking in the phototrophic sulfur-oxidizing Allochromatium vinosum. In the acidothermophilic sulfur (S0)- and tetrathionate (S4O62−)-oxidizing Metallosphaera cuprina Ar-4, a dsrE3A-dsrE2B-tusA arrangement is situated immediately between genes encoding dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase and a heterodisulfide reductase-like complex. In this study, the biochemical features and sulfur transferring abilities of the DsrE2B, DsrE3A, and TusA proteins were investigated. DsrE3A and TusA proved to react with tetrathionate but not with NaSH, glutathione persulfide, polysulfide, thiosulfate, or sulfite. The products were identified as protein-Cys-S-thiosulfonates. DsrE3A was also able to cleave the thiosulfate group from TusA-Cys18-S-thiosulfonate. DsrE2B did not react with any of the sulfur compounds tested. DsrE3A and TusA interacted physically with each other and formed a heterocomplex. The cysteine residue (Cys18) of TusA is crucial for this interaction. The single cysteine mutants DsrE3A-C93S and DsrE3A-C101S retained the ability to transfer the thiosulfonate group to TusA. TusA-C18S neither reacted with tetrathionate nor was it loaded with thiosulfate with DsrE3A-Cys-S-thiosulfonate as the donor. The transfer of thiosulfate, mediated by a DsrE-like protein and TusA, is unprecedented not only in M. cuprina but also in other sulfur-oxidizing prokaryotes. The results of this study provide new knowledge on oxidative microbial sulfur metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China, and
| | - Yvonne Stockdreher
- Institut für Mikrobiologie & Biotechnologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhems-Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Koch
- Institut für Mikrobiologie & Biotechnologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhems-Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Shu-Tao Sun
- Core Facility and Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zheng Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Michaele Josten
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Parasitologie, Abteilung Pharmazeutische Mikrobiologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Sahl
- Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Parasitologie, Abteilung Pharmazeutische Mikrobiologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuan-Ming Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shuang-Jiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,; Environmental Microbiology Research Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,.
| | - Christiane Dahl
- Institut für Mikrobiologie & Biotechnologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhems-Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany,.
| | - Cheng-Ying Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,; Environmental Microbiology Research Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China,.
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Construction and application of an expression vector from the new plasmid pLAtc1 of Acidithiobacillus caldus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:4083-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5507-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Revised: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Proteomic and molecular investigations revealed that Acidithiobacillus caldus adopts multiple strategies for adaptation to NaCl stress. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-013-0039-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Acuña LG, Cárdenas JP, Covarrubias PC, Haristoy JJ, Flores R, Nuñez H, Riadi G, Shmaryahu A, Valdés J, Dopson M, Rawlings DE, Banfield JF, Holmes DS, Quatrini R. Architecture and gene repertoire of the flexible genome of the extreme acidophile Acidithiobacillus caldus. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78237. [PMID: 24250794 PMCID: PMC3826726 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acidithiobacillus caldus is a sulfur oxidizing extreme acidophile and the only known mesothermophile within the Acidithiobacillales. As such, it is one of the preferred microbes for mineral bioprocessing at moderately high temperatures. In this study, we explore the genomic diversity of A. caldus strains using a combination of bioinformatic and experimental techniques, thus contributing first insights into the elucidation of the species pangenome. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Comparative sequence analysis of A. caldus ATCC 51756 and SM-1 indicate that, despite sharing a conserved and highly syntenic genomic core, both strains have unique gene complements encompassing nearly 20% of their respective genomes. The differential gene complement of each strain is distributed between the chromosomal compartment, one megaplasmid and a variable number of smaller plasmids, and is directly associated to a diverse pool of mobile genetic elements (MGE). These include integrative conjugative and mobilizable elements, genomic islands and insertion sequences. Some of the accessory functions associated to these MGEs have been linked previously to the flexible gene pool in microorganisms inhabiting completely different econiches. Yet, others had not been unambiguously mapped to the flexible gene pool prior to this report and clearly reflect strain-specific adaption to local environmental conditions. SIGNIFICANCE For many years, and because of DNA instability at low pH and recurrent failure to genetically transform acidophilic bacteria, gene transfer in acidic environments was considered negligible. Findings presented herein imply that a more or less conserved pool of actively excising MGEs occurs in the A. caldus population and point to a greater frequency of gene exchange in this econiche than previously recognized. Also, the data suggest that these elements endow the species with capacities to withstand the diverse abiotic and biotic stresses of natural environments, in particular those associated with its extreme econiche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian G. Acuña
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Cárdenas
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulo C. Covarrubias
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | | | | | | | - Gonzalo Riadi
- Centro de Bioinformática y Simulación Molecular, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | | | - Jorge Valdés
- Center for Systems Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mark Dopson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Douglas E. Rawlings
- Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Jillian F. Banfield
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - David S. Holmes
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raquel Quatrini
- Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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Chen L, Lin J, Liu X, Pang X, Lin H, Lin J. Transposition of IS elements induced by electroporation of suicide plasmid in Acidithiobacillus caldus. Enzyme Microb Technol 2013; 53:165-9. [PMID: 23830457 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Revised: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Transposition insertional mutagenesis of the insertion sequences (IS elements) was discovered for the first time in Acidithiobacillus caldus (A. caldus), when A. caldus MTH-04 hsdM (type I restriction-modification system M-subunit) mutant was constructed by electroporation of a suicide plasmid. The IS element, specifically inserting into hsdM gene, was analyzed, identified, and named ISAtc2. The transposition frequency of ISAtc2 was ranged from 4% to 7%, and no reverse mutation occurred in the mutants after 50 generations of proliferation without selective pressure. These results revealed that transposition of IS elements on A. caldus chromosome could regulate the gene expression and metabolic pathways by gene inactivation, gene loss and gene acquisition. Therefore, the transposition of IS elements in A. caldus may be an important and unique regulation mechanism for adaptation to the living condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
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Chen L, Ren Y, Lin J, Liu X, Pang X, Lin J. Acidithiobacillus caldus sulfur oxidation model based on transcriptome analysis between the wild type and sulfur oxygenase reductase defective mutant. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39470. [PMID: 22984393 PMCID: PMC3440390 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acidithiobacillus caldus (A. caldus) is widely used in bio-leaching. It gains energy and electrons from oxidation of elemental sulfur and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs) for carbon dioxide fixation and growth. Genomic analyses suggest that its sulfur oxidation system involves a truncated sulfur oxidation (Sox) system (omitting SoxCD), non-Sox sulfur oxidation system similar to the sulfur oxidation in A. ferrooxidans, and sulfur oxygenase reductase (SOR). The complexity of the sulfur oxidation system of A. caldus generates a big obstacle on the research of its sulfur oxidation mechanism. However, the development of genetic manipulation method for A. caldus in recent years provides powerful tools for constructing genetic mutants to study the sulfur oxidation system. RESULTS An A. caldus mutant lacking the sulfur oxygenase reductase gene (sor) was created and its growth abilities were measured in media using elemental sulfur (S(0)) and tetrathionate (K(2)S(4)O(6)) as the substrates, respectively. Then, comparative transcriptome analysis (microarrays and real-time quantitative PCR) of the wild type and the Δsor mutant in S(0) and K(2)S(4)O(6) media were employed to detect the differentially expressed genes involved in sulfur oxidation. SOR was concluded to oxidize the cytoplasmic elemental sulfur, but could not couple the sulfur oxidation with the electron transfer chain or substrate-level phosphorylation. Other elemental sulfur oxidation pathways including sulfur diooxygenase (SDO) and heterodisulfide reductase (HDR), the truncated Sox pathway, and the S(4)I pathway for hydrolysis of tetrathionate and oxidation of thiosulfate in A. caldus are proposed according to expression patterns of sulfur oxidation genes and growth abilities of the wild type and the mutant in different substrates media. CONCLUSION An integrated sulfur oxidation model with various sulfur oxidation pathways of A. caldus is proposed and the features of this model are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linxu Chen
- State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yilin Ren
- School of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianqun Lin
- State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiangmei Liu
- State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xin Pang
- State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianqiang Lin
- State Key Lab of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Hao L, Liu X, Wang H, Lin J, Pang X, Lin J. Detection and validation of a small broad-host-range plasmid pBBR1MCS-2 for use in genetic manipulation of the extremely acidophilic Acidithiobacillus sp. J Microbiol Methods 2012; 90:309-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2012.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2012] [Revised: 06/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Development of a markerless gene replacement system for Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and construction of a pfkB mutant. Appl Environ Microbiol 2011; 78:1826-35. [PMID: 22210219 DOI: 10.1128/aem.07230-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The extremely acidophilic, chemolithoautotrophic Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is an important bioleaching bacterium of great value in the metallurgical industry and environmental protection. In this report, a mutagenesis system based on the homing endonuclease I-SceI was developed to produce targeted, unmarked gene deletions in the strain A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270. A targeted phosphofructokinase (PFK) gene (pfkB) mutant of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 was constructed by homologous recombination and identified by PCR with specific primers as well as Southern blot analysis. This potential pfkB gene (AFE_1807) was also characterized by expression in PFK-deficient Escherichia coli cells, and heteroexpression of the PFKB protein demonstrated that it had functional PFK activity, though it was significantly lower (about 800-fold) than that of phosphofructokinase-2 (PFK-B) expressed by the pfkB gene from E. coli K-12. The function of the potential PFKB protein in A. ferrooxidans was demonstrated by comparing the properties of the pfkB mutant with those of the wild type. The pfkB mutant strain displayed a relatively reduced growth capacity in S(0) medium (0.5% [wt/vol] elemental sulfur in 9K basal salts solution adjusted to pH 3.0 with H(2)SO(4)), but the mutation did not completely prevent A. ferrooxidans from assimilating exogenous glucose. The transcriptional analysis of some related genes in central carbohydrate metabolism in the wild-type and mutant strains with or without supplementation of glucose was carried out by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. This report suggests that the markerless mutagenesis strategy could serve as a model for functional studies of other genes of interest from A. ferrooxidans and multiple mutations could be made in a single A. ferrooxidans strain.
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Valdes J, Ossandon F, Quatrini R, Dopson M, Holmes DS. Draft genome sequence of the extremely acidophilic biomining bacterium Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans ATCC 19377 provides insights into the evolution of the Acidithiobacillus genus. J Bacteriol 2011; 193:7003-4. [PMID: 22123759 PMCID: PMC3232857 DOI: 10.1128/jb.06281-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans is a mesophilic, extremely acidophilic, chemolithoautotrophic gammaproteobacterium that derives energy from the oxidation of sulfur and inorganic sulfur compounds. Here we present the draft genome sequence of A. thiooxidans ATCC 19377, which has allowed the identification of genes for survival and colonization of extremely acidic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Valdes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida and Depto. de Ciencias Biologicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Ossandon
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida and Depto. de Ciencias Biologicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raquel Quatrini
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida and Depto. de Ciencias Biologicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mark Dopson
- School of Natural Sciences, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - David S. Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida and Depto. de Ciencias Biologicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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Nelson OW, Garrity GM. Genome sequences of Bacteria and Archaea published outside of Standards in Genomic Sciences, June – September 2011. Stand Genomic Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.4056/sigs.2324675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Oranmiyan W. Nelson
- 1Editorial Office, Standards in Genomic Sciences and Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - George M. Garrity
- 1Editorial Office, Standards in Genomic Sciences and Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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