Tetrathionate hydrolase from the acidophilic microorganisms

Tetrathionate hydrolase (TTH) is a unique enzyme found in acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms, such as bacteria and archaea. This enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of tetrathionate to thiosulfate, elemental sulfur, and sulfate. It is also involved in dissimilatory sulfur oxidation metabolism, the S4-intermediate pathway. TTHs have been purified and characterized from acidophilic autotrophic sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. All purified TTHs show an optimum pH in the acidic range, suggesting that they are localized in the periplasmic space or outer membrane. In particular, the gene encoding TTH from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Af-tth) was identified and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli cells. TTH activity could be recovered from the recombinant inclusion bodies by acid refolding treatment for crystallization. The mechanism of tetrathionate hydrolysis was then elucidated by X-ray crystal structure analysis. Af-tth is highly expressed in tetrathionate-grown cells but not in iron-grown cells. These unique structural properties, reaction mechanisms, gene expression, and regulatory mechanisms are discussed in this review.

Reaction mechanism of tetrathionate hydrolysis based on the crystal structure of tetrathionate hydrolase from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Tetrathionate hydrolase (4THase) plays an important role in dissimilatory sulfur oxidation in the acidophilic iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The structure of recombinant 4THase from A. ferrooxidans (Af-Tth) was determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 1.95 Å. Af-Tth is a homodimer, and its monomer structure exhibits an eight-bladed β-propeller motif. Two insertion loops participate in dimerization, and one loop forms a cavity with the β-propeller region. We observed unexplained electron densities in this cavity of the substrate-soaked structure. The anomalous difference map generated using diffraction data collected at a wavelength of 1.9 Å indicated the presence of polymerized sulfur atoms. Asp325, a highly conserved residue among 4THases, was located near the polymerized sulfur atoms. 4THase activity was completely abolished in the site-specific Af-Tth D325N variant, suggesting that Asp325 plays a crucial role in the first step of tetrathionate hydrolysis. Considering that the Af-Tth reaction occurs only under acidic pH, Asp325 acts as an acid for the tetrathionate hydrolysis reaction. The polymerized sulfur atoms in the active site cavity may represent the intermediate product in the subsequent step.

Contributions of Microbial “Contact Leaching” to Pyrite Oxidation under Different Controlled Redox Potentials

The function of microbial contact leaching to pyrite oxidation was investigated by analyzing the differences of residue morphologies, leaching rates, surface products, and microbial consortia under different conditions in this study. This was achieved by novel equipment that can control the redox potential of the solution and isolate pyrite from microbial contact oxidation. The morphology of residues showed that the corrosions were a little bit severer in the presence of attached microbes under 750 mV and 850 mV (vs. SHE). At 650 mV, the oxidation of pyrite was undetectable even in the presence of attached microbes. The pyrite dissolution rate was higher with attached microbes than that without attached microbes at 750 mV and 850 mV. The elemental sulfur on the surface of pyrite residues with sessile microorganisms was much less than that without attached microbes at 750 mV and 850 mV, showing that sessile acidophiles may accelerate pyrite leaching by reducing the elemental sulfur inhibition. Many more sulfur-oxidizers were found in the sessile microbial consortium which also supported the idea. The results suggest that the microbial “contact leaching” to pyrite oxidation is limited and relies on the elimination of elemental sulfur passivation by attached sulfur-oxidizing microbes rather than the contact oxidation by EPS-Fe.

High copper concentration reduces biofilm formation in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans by decreasing production of extracellular polymeric substances and its adherence to elemental sulfur

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is an acidophilic bacterium able to grow in environments with high concentrations of metals. It is a chemolithoautotroph able to form biofilms on the surface of solid minerals to obtain its energy. The response of both planktonic and sessile cells of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 grown in elemental sulfur and adapted to high copper concentration was analyzed by quantitative proteomics. It was found that 137 proteins varied their abundance when comparing both lifestyles. Copper effllux proteins, some subunits of the ATP synthase complex, porins, and proteins involved in cell wall modification increased their abundance in copper-adapted sessile lifestyle cells. On the other hand, planktonic copper-adapted cells showed increased levels of proteins such as: cupreredoxins involved in copper cell sequestration, some proteins related to sulfur metabolism, those involved in biosynthesis and transport of lipopolysaccharides, and in assembly of type IV pili. During copper adaptation a decreased formation of biofilms was measured as determined by epifluorescence microscopy. This was apparently due not only to a diminished number of sessile cells but also to their exopolysaccharides production. This is the first study showing that copper, a prevalent metal in biomining environments causes dispersion of A. ferrooxidans biofilms. SIGNIFICANCE: Copper is a metal frequently found in high concentrations at mining environments inhabitated by acidophilic microorganisms. Copper resistance determinants of A. ferrooxidans have been previously studied in planktonic cells. Although biofilms are recurrent in these types of environments, the effect of copper on their formation has not been studied so far. The results obtained indicate that high concentrations of copper reduce the capacity of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 to form biofilms on sulfur. These findings may be relevant to consider for a bacterium widely used in copper bioleaching processes.

Two pathways for thiosulfate oxidation in the alphaproteobacterial chemolithotroph Paracoccus thiocyanatus SST

Chemolithotrophic bacteria oxidize various sulfur species for energy and electrons, thereby operationalizing biogeochemical sulfur cycles in nature. The best-studied pathway of bacterial sulfur-chemolithotrophy involves direct oxidation of thiosulfate (S₂O₃^2-) to sulfate (SO₄^2-) without any free intermediate. This pathway mediated by SoxXAYZBCD is apparently the exclusive mechanism of thiosulfate oxidation in facultatively chemolithotrophic alphaproteobacteria. Here we explore the molecular mechanisms of sulfur oxidation in the thiosulfate- and tetrathionate(S₄O₆^2-)-oxidizing alphaproteobacterium Paracoccus thiocyanatus SST, and compare them with the prototypical Sox process of Paracoccus pantotrophus. Our results reveal a unique case where an alphaproteobacterium has Sox as its secondary pathway of thiosulfate oxidation converting ∼10% of the thiosulfate supplied, whilst ∼90% of the substrate is oxidized via a pathway that produces tetrathionate as an intermediate. Sulfur oxidation kinetics of a deletion mutant showed that thiosulfate-to-tetrathionate conversion, in SST, is catalyzed by a thiosulfate dehydrogenase (TsdA) homolog that has far-higher substrate-affinity than the Sox system of this bacterium, which in turn is also less efficient than the P. pantotrophus Sox. Deletion of soxB abolished sulfate-formation from thiosulfate/tetrathionate, while thiosulfate-to-tetrathionate conversion remained unperturbed. Physiological studies revealed the involvement of glutathione in SST tetrathionate oxidation. However, zero impact of the insertional mutation of a thiol dehydrotransferase (thdT) homolog, together with the absence of sulfite as an intermediate, indicated that SST tetrathionate oxidation is mechanistically novel, and distinct from its betaproteobacterial counterpart mediated by glutathione, ThdT, SoxBCD and sulfite:acceptor oxidoreductase. The present findings highlight extensive functional diversification of sulfur-oxidizing enzymes across phylogenetically close, as well as distant, bacteria.

Sulfur Oxidation in the Acidophilic Autotrophic Acidithiobacillus spp

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.

Biodegradation of sulfadiazine in microbial fuel cells: Reaction mechanism, biotoxicity removal and the correlation with reactor microbes

Sulfadiazine (SDZ) is a high priority sulfonamide antibiotic and was always detected in environmental samples. This study explored the removal of SDZ in microbial fuel cells (MFCs), in terms of MFC operation, degradation products, reaction mechanism, SDZ biotoxicity removal, and the correlation between microbial community and SDZ removal. SDZ would greatly impact the activity of reactor microbes, and longtime acclimation is required for the biodegradation of SDZ in MFCs. After acclimation, 10 mg/L of SDZ could be removed within 48 h. Liquid chromatographic-mass spectroscopic analysis showed that SDZ could be degraded into 2-aminopyrimidine, 2-amino-4-hydroxypyrimidine and benzenesulfinic acid. Compared with published SDZ biodegradation mechanism, we found that the sulfanilamide part (p-Anilinesulfonic acid) of SDZ would be degraded into benzenesulfinic acid in the system. The effects of background constituents on SDZ biodegradation were explored, and co-existed humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) could accelerate the removal of SDZ in MFCs. After analyzing the reactor microbial community and the removal of SDZ at different operation cycles, it was found that the relative abundance of Methanocorpusculum, Mycobacterium, Clostridium, Thiobacillus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas was highly correlated with the removal of SDZ throughout the experiment.

Characterization of tetrathionate hydrolase from the marine acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans strain SH

Tetrathionate hydrolase (4THase), a key enzyme of the S₄-intermediate (S4I) pathway, was partially purified from marine acidophilic bacterium, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans strain SH, and the gene encoding this enzyme (SH-tth) was identified. SH-Tth is a homodimer with a molecular mass of 97 ± 3 kDa, and contains a subunit 52 kDa in size. Enzyme activity was stimulated in the presence of 1 M NaCl, and showed the maximum at pH 3.0. Although 4THases from A. thiooxidans and the closely related Acidithiobacillus caldus strain have been reported to be periplasmic enzymes, SH-Tth seems to be localized on the outer membrane of the cell, and acts as a peripheral protein. Furthermore, both 4THase activity and SH-Tth proteins were detected in sulfur-grown cells of strain SH. These results suggested that SH-Tth is involved in elemental sulfur-oxidation, which is distinct from sulfur-oxidation in other sulfur-oxidizing strains such as A. thiooxidans and A. caldus.

Sulfur Metabolism Pathways in Sulfobacillus acidophilus TPY, A Gram-Positive Moderate Thermoacidophile from a Hydrothermal Vent

Sulfobacillus acidophilus TPY, isolated from a hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean, is a moderately thermoacidophilic Gram-positive bacterium that can oxidize ferrous iron or sulfur compounds to obtain energy. In this study, comparative transcriptomic analyses of S. acidophilus TPY were performed under different redox conditions. Based on these results, pathways involved in sulfur metabolism were proposed. Additional evidence was obtained by analyzing mRNA abundance of selected genes involved in the sulfur metabolism of sulfur oxygenase reductase (SOR)-overexpressed S. acidophilus TPY recombinant under different redox conditions. Comparative transcriptomic analyses of S. acidophilus TPY cultured in the presence of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) or elemental sulfur (S0) were employed to detect differentially transcribed genes and operons involved in sulfur metabolism. The mRNA abundances of genes involved in sulfur metabolism decreased in cultures containing elemental sulfur, as opposed to cultures in which FeSO4 was present where an increase in the expression of sulfur metabolism genes, particularly sulfite reductase (SiR) involved in the dissimilatory sulfate reduction, was observed. SOR, whose mRNA abundance increased in S0 culture, may play an important role in the initial sulfur oxidation. In order to confirm the pathways, SOR overexpression in S. acidophilus TPY and subsequent mRNA abundance analysis of sulfur metabolism-related genes were carried out. Conjugation-based transformation of pTrc99A derived plasmid from heterotrophic E. coli to facultative autotrophic S. acidophilus TPY was developed in this study. Transconjugation between E. coli and S. acidophilus was performed on modified solid 2:2 medium at pH 4.8 and 37°C for 72 h. The SOR-overexpressed recombinant S. acidophilus TPY-SOR had a [Formula: see text]-accumulation increase, higher oxidation/ reduction potentials (ORPs) and lower pH compared with the wild type strain in the late growth stage of S0 culture condition. The transcript level of sor gene in the recombinant strain increased in both S0 and FeSO4 culture conditions, which influenced the transcription of other genes in the proposed sulfur metabolism pathways. Overall, these results expand our understanding of sulfur metabolism within the Sulfobacillus genus and provide a successful gene-manipulation method.

The sole cysteine residue (Cys301) of tetrathionate hydrolase from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans does not play a role in enzyme activity

Cysteine residues are absolutely indispensable for the reactions of almost all enzymes involved in the dissimilatory oxidation pathways of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds. Tetrathionate hydrolase from the acidophilic iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (Af-Tth) catalyzes tetrathionate hydrolysis to generate elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, and sulfate. Af-Tth is a key enzyme in the dissimilatory sulfur oxidation pathway in this bacterium. Only one cysteine residue (Cys301) has been identified in the deduced amino acid sequence of the Af-Tth gene. In order to clarify the role of the sole cysteine residue, a site-specific mutant enzyme (C301A) was generated. No difference was observed in the retention volumes of the wild-type and mutant Af-Tth enzymes by gel-filtration column chromatography, and surprisingly the enzyme activities measured in the cysteine-deficient and wild-type enzymes were the same. These results suggest that the sole cysteine residue (Cys301) in Af-Tth is involved in neither the tetrathionate hydrolysis reaction nor the subunit assembly. Af-Tth may thus have a novel cysteine-independent reaction mechanism.

Construction and characterization of tetH overexpression and knockout strains of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is a major participant in consortia of microorganisms used for bioleaching. It can obtain energy from the oxidation of Fe(2+), H2, S(0), and various reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs). Tetrathionate is a key intermediate during RISC oxidation, hydrolyzed by tetrathionate hydrolase (TetH), and used as sole energy source. In this study, a tetH knockout (ΔtetH) mutant and a tetH overexpression strain were constructed and characterized. The tetH overexpression strain grew better on sulfur and tetrathionate and possessed a higher rate of tetrathionate utilization and TetH activity than the wild type. However, its cell yields on tetrathionate were much lower than those on sulfur. The ΔtetH mutant could not grow on tetrathionate but could proliferate on sulfur with a lower cell yield than the wild type's, which indicated that tetrathionate hydrolysis is mediated only by TetH, encoded by tetH. The ΔtetH mutant could survive in ferrous medium with an Fe(2+) oxidation rate similar to that of the wild type. For the tetH overexpression strain, the rate was relatively higher than that of the wild type. The reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that tetH and doxD2 acted synergistically, and doxD2 was considered important in thiosulfate metabolism. Of the two sqr genes, AFE_0267 seemed to play as important a role in sulfide oxidation as AFE_1792. This study not only provides a substantial basis for studying the function of the tetH gene but also may serve as a model to clarify other candidate genes involved in sulfur oxidation in this organism.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of tetrathionate hydrolase from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Tetrathionate hydrolase (4THase) from the iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans catalyses the disproportionate hydrolysis of tetrathionate to elemental sulfur, thiosulfate and sulfate. The gene encoding 4THase (Af-tth) was expressed as inclusion bodies in recombinant Escherichia coli. Recombinant Af-Tth was activated by refolding under acidic conditions and was then purified to homogeneity. The recombinant protein was crystallized in 20 mM glycine buffer pH 10 containing 50 mM sodium chloride and 33%(v/v) PEG 1000 using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystal was a hexagonal cylinder with dimensions of 0.2 × 0.05 × 0.05 mm. X-ray crystallographic analysis showed that the crystal diffracted to 2.15 Å resolution and belongs to space group P3(1) or P3(2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 92.1, c = 232.6 Å.

Stoichiometric modeling of oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (Riscs) in Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

The prokaryotic oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs) is a topic of utmost importance from a biogeochemical and industrial perspective. Despite sulfur oxidizing bacterial activity is largely known, no quantitative approaches to biological RISCs oxidation have been made, gathering all the complex abiotic and enzymatic stoichiometry involved. Even though in the case of neutrophilic bacteria such as Paracoccus and Beggiatoa species the RISCs oxidation systems are well described, there is a lack of knowledge for acidophilic microorganisms. Here, we present the first experimentally validated stoichiometric model able to assess RISCs oxidation quantitatively in Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans (strain DSM 17318), the archetype of the sulfur oxidizing acidophilic chemolithoautotrophs. This model was built based on literature and genomic analysis, considering a widespread mix of formerly proposed RISCs oxidation models combined and evaluated experimentally. Thiosulfate partial oxidation by the Sox system (SoxABXYZ) was placed as central step of sulfur oxidation model, along with abiotic reactions. This model was coupled with a detailed stoichiometry of biomass production, providing accurate bacterial growth predictions. In silico deletion/inactivation highlights the role of sulfur dioxygenase as the main catalyzer and a moderate function of tetrathionate hydrolase in elemental sulfur catabolism, demonstrating that this model constitutes an advanced instrument for the optimization of At. thiooxidans biomass production with potential use in biohydrometallurgical and environmental applications.

Archaeal tetrathionate hydrolase goes viral: secretion of a sulfur metabolism enzyme in the form of virus-like particles

In the course of screening for virus-host systems in extreme thermal environments, we have isolated a strain of the hyperthermophilic archaeaon Acidianus hospitalis producing unusual filamentous particles with a zipper-like appearance. The particles were shown to represent a secreted form of a genuine cellular enzyme, tetrathionate hydrolase, involved in sulfur metabolism.

Recombinant tetrathionate hydrolase from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans requires exposure to acidic conditions for proper folding

Tetrathionate hydrolase (4THase) plays an important role in dissimilatory sulfur metabolism in the acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. We have already identified the gene encoding 4THase (Af-tth) in this bacterium. The heterologous expression of Af-tth in Escherichia coli resulted in the formation of inclusion bodies of the protein in an inactive form. The recombinant protein (Af-Tth) was successfully activated after an in vitro refolding treatment. The specific activity of the refolded Af-Tth obtained was 21.0+/-9.4 U mg(-1) when the protein solubilized from inclusion bodies by 6 M guanidine hydrochloride solution was refolded in a buffer containing 10 mM beta-alanine, 2 mM dithiothreitol, 0.4 M ammonium sulfate, and 30% v/v glycerol with the pH adjusted to 4.0 by sulfuric acid for 14 h at 4 degrees C. The in vitro refolding experiments revealed that Af-Tth required exposure to an acidic environment during protein folding for activation. This property reflects a physiological characteristic of the Af-Tth localized in the outer membrane of the acidophilic A. ferrooxidans. No cofactor such as pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) was required during the refolding process in spite of the similarity in the primary structure of Af-Tth to the PQQ family of proteins.

Biochemistry and molecular biology of lithotrophic sulfur oxidation by taxonomically and ecologically diverse bacteria and archaea

Lithotrophic sulfur oxidation is an ancient metabolic process. Ecologically and taxonomically diverged prokaryotes have differential abilities to utilize different reduced sulfur compounds as lithotrophic substrates. Different phototrophic or chemotrophic species use different enzymes, pathways and mechanisms of electron transport and energy conservation for the oxidation of any given substrate. While the mechanisms of sulfur oxidation in obligately chemolithotrophic bacteria, predominantly belonging to Beta- (e.g. Thiobacillus) and Gammaproteobacteria (e.g. Thiomicrospira), are not well established, the Sox system is the central pathway in the facultative bacteria from Alphaproteobacteria (e.g. Paracoccus). Interestingly, photolithotrophs such as Rhodovulum belonging to Alphaproteobacteria also use the Sox system, whereas those from Chromatiaceae and Chlorobi use a truncated Sox complex alongside reverse-acting sulfate-reducing systems. Certain chemotrophic magnetotactic Alphaproteobacteria allegedly utilize such a combined mechanism. Sulfur-chemolithotrophic metabolism in Archaea, largely restricted to Sulfolobales, is distinct from those in Bacteria. Phylogenetic and biomolecular fossil data suggest that the ubiquity of sox genes could be due to horizontal transfer, and coupled sulfate reduction/sulfide oxidation pathways, originating in planktonic ancestors of Chromatiaceae or Chlorobi, could be ancestral to all sulfur-lithotrophic processes. However, the possibility that chemolithotrophy, originating in deep sea, is the actual ancestral form of sulfur oxidation cannot be ruled out.

Periplasmic proteins of the extremophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans: a high throughput proteomics analysis

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is a chemolithoautotrophic acidophile capable of obtaining energy by oxidizing ferrous iron or sulfur compounds such as metal sulfides. Some of the proteins involved in these oxidations have been described as forming part of the periplasm of this extremophile. The detailed study of the periplasmic components constitutes an important area to understand the physiology and environmental interactions of microorganisms. Proteomics analysis of the periplasmic fraction of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 was performed by using high resolution linear ion trap-FT MS. We identified a total of 131 proteins in the periplasm of the microorganism grown in thiosulfate. When possible, functional categories were assigned to the proteins: 13.8% were transport and binding proteins, 14.6% were several kinds of cell envelope proteins, 10.8% were involved in energy metabolism, 10% were related to protein fate and folding, 10% were proteins with unknown functions, and 26.1% were proteins without homologues in databases. These last proteins are most likely characteristic of A. ferrooxidans and may have important roles yet to be assigned. The majority of the periplasmic proteins from A. ferrooxidans were very basic compared with those of neutrophilic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, suggesting a special adaptation of the chemolithoautotrophic bacterium to its very acidic environment. The high throughput proteomics approach used here not only helps to understand the physiology of this extreme acidophile but also offers an important contribution to the functional annotation for the available genomes of biomining microorganisms such as A. ferrooxidans for which no efficient genetic systems are available to disrupt genes by procedures such as homologous recombination.

Regulation of a novel Acidithiobacillus caldus gene cluster involved in metabolism of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds

Acidithiobacillus caldus has been proposed to play a role in the oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs) produced in industrial biomining of sulfidic minerals. Here, we describe the regulation of a new cluster containing the gene encoding tetrathionate hydrolase (tetH), a key enzyme in the RISC metabolism of this bacterium. The cluster contains five cotranscribed genes, ISac1, rsrR, rsrS, tetH, and doxD, coding for a transposase, a two-component response regulator (RsrR and RsrS), tetrathionate hydrolase, and DoxD, respectively. As shown by quantitative PCR, rsrR, tetH, and doxD are upregulated to different degrees in the presence of tetrathionate. Western blot analysis also indicates upregulation of TetH in the presence of tetrathionate, thiosulfate, and pyrite. The tetH cluster is predicted to have two promoters, both of which are functional in Escherichia coli and one of which was mapped by primer extension. A pyrrolo-quinoline quinone binding domain in TetH was predicted by bioinformatic analysis, and the presence of an o-quinone moiety was experimentally verified, suggesting a mechanism for tetrathionate oxidation.

Identification of a gene encoding a tetrathionate hydrolase in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Tetrathionate is one of the most important intermediates in dissimilatory sulfur oxidation and can itself be utilized as a sole energy source by some sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. Tetrathionate hydrolase (4THase) plays a significant role in tetrathionate oxidation and should catalyze the initial step in the oxidative dissimilation when sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are grown on tetrathionate. 4THase activity was detected in tetrathionate-grown Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 cells but not in iron-grown cells. A 4THase having a dimeric structure of identical 50kDa polypeptides was purified from tetrathionate-grown cells. The 4THase showed the maximum activity at pH 3.0 and high stability under acidic conditions. An open reading frame (ORF) encoding the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified 4THase was identified by a BLAST search using the database for the A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 genome. Heterologous expression of the gene in Escherichia coli resulted in the formation of inclusion bodies of the protein in an inactive form. Antisera against the recombinant protein clearly recognized the purified native 4THase, indicating that the ORF encoded the 4THase.

The S4-intermediate pathway for the oxidation of thiosulfate by the chemolithoautotroph Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis and inhibition of tetrathionate oxidation by sulfite

Chemolithotrophic oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds was studied in the betaproteobacterium Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis in correlation with its transposon (Tn5-mob)-inserted mutants impaired in sulfur oxidation (Sox(-)) and found to be carried out via the tetrathionate intermediate (S(4)I) pathway. The group of physiologically identical Sox(-) mutant strains presently examined could fully oxidize thiosulfate supplied in the media to equivalent amounts of tetrathionate but could only convert 5-10% of the latter to equivalent amounts of sulfite (equivalences in terms of mug atoms of S ml(-1)). These mutants were found to possess intact thiosulfate dehydrogenase, but defunct sulfite dehydrogenase, activities. Single copies of Tn5-mob in the genomes of the Sox(-) mutants were found inserted within the moeA gene, responsible for molybdopterin cofactor biosynthesis. This explained the inactivity of sulfite dehydrogenase. Chemolithotrophic oxidation of tetrathionate and sulfite by T. kashmirensis was found to be inhibited by 12 mM tungstate, whose effect could however be reversed by further addition of 15 mM molybdate. In mixotrophic medium, the mutants showed uninterrupted utilization of maltose but inhibition of tetrathionate utilization due to accumulation of sulfite. When sulfite was added to wild type cultures growing on tetrathionate-containing chemolithoautotrophic medium, it was found to render concentration-dependent inhibition of oxidation of tetrathionate. Our findings indicate that sulfite molecules negatively regulate their own synthesis by plausible inhibitory interaction(s) with enzyme(s) responsible for the oxidation of tetrathionate to sulfite; thereby clearly suggesting that one of the control mechanisms of chemolithotrophic sulfur oxidation could be at the level of sulfite.

Extracellular polymeric substances mediate bioleaching/biocorrosion via interfacial processes involving iron(III) ions and acidophilic bacteria

Extracellular polymeric substances seem to play a pivotal role in biocorrosion of metals and bioleaching, biocorrosion of metal sulfides for the winning of precious metals as well as acid rock drainage. For better control of both processes, the structure and function of extracellular polymeric substances of corrosion-causing or leaching bacteria are of crucial importance. Our research focused on the extremophilic bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans, because of the "simplicity" and knowledge about the interactions of these bacteria with their substrate/substratum and their environment. For this purpose, the composition of the corresponding extracellular polymeric substances and their functions were analyzed. The extracellular polymeric substances of both species consist mainly of neutral sugars and lipids. The functions of the exopolymers seem to be: (i) to mediate attachment to a (metal) sulfide surface, and (ii) to concentrate iron(III) ions by complexation through uronic acids or other residues at the mineral surface, thus, allowing an oxidative attack on the sulfide. Consequently, dissolution of the metal sulfide is enhanced, which may result in an acceleration of 20- to 100-fold of the bioleaching process over chemical leaching. Experiments were performed to elucidate the importance of the iron(III) ions complexed by extracellular polymeric substances for strain-specific differences in oxidative activity for pyrite. Strains of A. ferrooxidans with a high amount of iron(III) ions in their extracellular polymeric substances possess greater oxidation activity than those with fewer iron(III) ions. These data provide insight into the function of and consequently the advantages that extracellular polymeric substances provide to bacteria. The role of extracellular polymeric substances for attachment under the conditions of a space station and resulting effects like biofouling, biocorrosion, malodorous gases, etc. will be discussed.

Genomics, metagenomics and proteomics in biomining microorganisms

The use of acidophilic, chemolithotrophic microorganisms capable of oxidizing iron and sulfur in industrial processes to recover metals from minerals containing copper, gold and uranium is a well established biotechnology with distinctive advantages over traditional mining. A consortium of different microorganisms participates in the oxidative reactions resulting in the extraction of dissolved metal values from ores. Considerable effort has been spent in the last years to understand the biochemistry of iron and sulfur compounds oxidation, bacteria-mineral interactions (chemotaxis, quorum sensing, adhesion, biofilm formation) and several adaptive responses allowing the microorganisms to survive in a bioleaching environment. All of these are considered key phenomena for understanding the process of biomining. The use of genomics, metagenomics and high throughput proteomics to study the global regulatory responses that the biomining community uses to adapt to their changing environment is just beginning to emerge in the last years. These powerful approaches are reviewed here since they offer the possibility of exciting new findings that will allow analyzing the community as a microbial system, determining the extent to which each of the individual participants contributes to the process, how they evolve in time to keep the conglomerate healthy and therefore efficient during the entire process of bioleaching.

Differential protein expression during growth of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans on ferrous iron, sulfur compounds, or metal sulfides

A set of proteins that changed their levels of synthesis during growth of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 19859 on metal sulfides, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur, and ferrous iron was characterized by using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. N-terminal amino acid sequencing and mass spectrometry analysis of these proteins allowed their identification and the localization of the corresponding genes in the available genomic sequence of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270. The genomic context around several of these genes suggests their involvement in the energetic metabolism of A. ferrooxidans. Two groups of proteins could be distinguished. The first consisted of proteins highly upregulated by growth on sulfur compounds (and downregulated by growth on ferrous iron): a 44-kDa outer membrane protein, an exported 21-kDa putative thiosulfate sulfur transferase protein, a 33-kDa putative thiosulfate/sulfate binding protein, a 45-kDa putative capsule polysaccharide export protein, and a putative 16-kDa protein of unknown function. The second group of proteins comprised those downregulated by growth on sulfur (and upregulated by growth on ferrous iron): rusticyanin, a cytochrome c(552), a putative phosphate binding protein (PstS), the small and large subunits of ribulose biphosphate carboxylase, and a 30-kDa putative CbbQ protein, among others. The results suggest in general a separation of the iron and sulfur utilization pathways. Rusticyanin, in addition to being highly expressed on ferrous iron, was also newly synthesized, as determined by metabolic labeling, although at lower levels, during growth on sulfur compounds and iron-free metal sulfides. During growth on metal sulfides containing iron, such as pyrite and chalcopyrite, both proteins upregulated on ferrous iron and those upregulated on sulfur compounds were synthesized, indicating that the two energy-generating pathways are induced simultaneously depending on the kind and concentration of oxidizable substrates available.

Localization, purification and properties of a tetrathionate hydrolase from Acidithiobacillus caldus

The moderately thermophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus caldus is found in bacterial populations in many bioleaching operations throughout the world. This bacterium oxidizes elemental sulfur and other reduced inorganic sulfur compounds as the sole source of energy. The purpose of this study was to purify and characterize the tetrathionate hydrolase of A. caldus. The enzyme was purified 16.7-fold by one step chromatography using a SP Sepharose column. The purified enzyme resolved into a single band in 10% polyacrylamide gel, both under denaturing and native conditions. Its homogeneity was confirmed by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. Tetrathionate hydrolase was shown to be a homodimer with a molecular mass of 103 kDa (composed from two 52 kDa monomers). The purified enzyme had optimum activity at pH 3.0 and 40 degrees C and an isoelectric point of 9.8. The periplasmic localization of the enzyme was determined by differential fractionation of A. caldus cells. Detected products of the tetrathionate hydrolase reaction were thiosulfate and pentathionate as confirmed by RP-HPLC analysis. The activity of the purified enzyme was drastically enhanced by divalent metal ions.

An exported rhodanese-like protein is induced during growth of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in metal sulfides and different sulfur compounds

By proteomic analysis we found a 21-kDa protein (P21) from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 19859 whose synthesis was greatly increased by growth of the bacteria in pyrite, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur, CuS, and ZnS and was almost completely repressed by growth in ferrous iron. After we determined the N-terminal amino acid sequence of P21, we used the available preliminary genomic sequence of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 to isolate the DNA region containing the p21 gene. The nucleotide sequence of this DNA fragment contained a putative open reading frame (ORF) coding for a 23-kDa protein. This difference in size was due to the presence of a putative signal peptide in the ORF coding for P21. When p21 was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, the signal peptide was removed, resulting in a mature protein with a molecular mass of 21 kDa and a calculated isoelectric point of 9.18. P21 exhibited 27% identity and 42% similarity to the Deinococcus radiodurans thiosulfate-sulfur transferase (rhodanese; EC 2.8.1.1) and similar values in relation to other rhodaneses, conserving structural domains and an active site with a cysteine, both characteristic of this family of proteins. However, the purified recombinant P21 protein did not show rhodanese activity. Unlike cytoplasmic rhodaneses, P21 was located in the periphery of A. ferrooxidans cells, as determined by immunocytochemical analysis, and was regulated depending on the oxidizable substrate. The genomic context around gene p21 contained other ORFs corresponding to proteins such as thioredoxins and sulfate-thiosulfate binding proteins, clearly suggesting the involvement of P21 in inorganic sulfur metabolism in A. ferrooxidans.