Volatilization and precipitation of tellurium by aerobic, tellurite-resistant marine microbes

Microbial mechanisms to transform the super-trace element tellurium: a systematic review and discussion of nanoparticulate phases

Tellurium is a super-trace metalloid on Earth. Owing to its excellent physical and chemical properties, it is used in industries such as metallurgy and manufacturing, particularly of semiconductors and - more recently - solar panels. As the global demand for tellurium rises, environmental issues surrounding tellurium have recently aroused concern due to its high toxicity. The amount of tellurium released to the environment is increasing, and microorganisms play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of environmental tellurium. This review focuses on novel developments on tellurium transformations driven by microbes and includes the following sections: (1) history and applications of tellurium; (2) toxicity of tellurium; (3) microbial detoxification mechanisms against soluble tellurium anions including uptake, efflux and methods of reduction, and reduced ability to cope with oxidation stress or repair damaged DNA; and (4) the characteristics and applications of tellurium nanoparticles (TeNPs) produced by microbes. This review raises the awareness of microorganisms in tellurium biogeochemical cycling and the growing applications for microbial tellurium nanoparticles.

Selected technology-critical elements as indicators of anthropogenic contamination of surface water and suspended solids on the example of the Biała Przemsza River (Poland)

Pollution of surface waters from anthropogenic activities is a global problem, affecting natural ecosystems, having a large impact on the life and health of living organisms. The development of mining and metallurgic industries of Pb and Zn ores in the Biała Przemsza cachment area has had a strong influence on the surface waters and suspended solids. This paper proposes the use of selected critical elements such as Tl, Te, Ga, Ge and In as indicators of anthropogenic pollution of surface waters and suspended solids on the example of the Biała Przemsza River. The impact of strongly anthropogenic urban-industrial catchment on the temporal and spatial distribution of the selected TCEs content in the water and suspension of the Biała Przemsza River depending on the oxygen, pH and Eh conditions is presented. Research has shown that selected critical elements such as Te, Ge, and In can be indicators of anthropogenic pollution of surface waters. In the case of the Biała Przemsza River, elements such as Ga and Tl cannot be indicators of anthropogenic pollution due to their presence in the zinc and lead ore deposits occurring in the river basin. Correlation matrices showed significant relationships between the selected TCEs and other water parameters. The calculated water pollution indices confirmed that the Biała Przemsza River is the most polluted in the last three sampling points.

Potential of tellurite resistance in heterotrophic bacteria from mining environments

Untreated mining wastes and improper disposal of high-tech devices generate an environmental increase of bioavailable metalloids, exerting stress on autochthonous microbial populations. Tellurium is a metalloid, an element with raising economic importance; nevertheless, its interaction with living organisms is not yet fully understood. Here we characterized aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, isolated from high metal-content mining residues, able to resist/reduce tellurite into tellurium structures and to determine the presence of confirmed tellurite resistance genetic determinants in resistant strains. We identified over 50 tellurite-resistant strains, among 144 isolates, eight strains reduced tellurite to tellurium at different rates, with the concomitant production of tellurium deposits. Most tellurite resistance genes were found in strains from Bacillales, with the prevalence of genes of the ter operon. This work demonstrated that bacterial isolates, from environments with a persistent selective pressure, are potential candidates for uncovering strategies for tellurite resistance and/or production of valuable Te-containing materials.

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Sites with continuous high metal pressure as a source of Te-resistant bacteria diversity

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Organism-specific Te (IV) reduction produces unique Te (0) insoluble structures

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Unveiled Te resistance genetic determinants and arrangements in Bacillales

Accessing the environmental impact of tellurium metal

Tellurium is gaining technical significance because of being a vital constituent for the growth of green-energy products and technologies. Owing to its unique property of interchangeable oxidation states it has a tricky though interesting chemistry with basically unidentified environmental effects. The understanding of environmental actions of tellurium has significant gaps for instance, its existence and effects in various environmental sections related to mining, handling and removal and disposal methods. To bridge this gap it is required to assess its distinctive concentrations in the environment together with proper knowledge of its environmental chemistry. This in turn significantly requires developing systematic diagnostic schemes which are sensitive enough to present statistics in the concentrations which are environmentally relevant. The broad assessment of available statistics illustrates that tellurium is being found in a very scarce concentrations in various environmental sections. Very less information is available for the presence and effects of tellurium in air and natural water resources. Various soil and lake sediment analysis statistics indicate towards the presence of tellurium in soil owing to release of dust, ash and slag during mining and manufacturing practices. Computing the release and behavior of tellurium in environment needs a thorough assessment of its anthropogenic life cycle which in turn will facilitate information about its existing and prospective release in the environment, and will aid to handle the metal more sensibly.

Aerobic granular sludge for efficient biotransformation of chalcogen SeIV and TeIV oxyanions: Biological nutrient removal and biogenesis of Se0 and Te0 nanostructures

Simultaneous removal of selenite (Se^IV), tellurite (Te^IV) and nutrients by aerobic granular sludge (AGS) was investigated. A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated with increasing Se^IV and Te^IV (up to 500 µM each) for 205 days to evaluate metalloid oxyanion and nutrient removal. AGS efficiently removed Se^IV and Te^IV by readily converting them to biomass associated forms. The total Se and Te removal efficiencies were higher at 98% and 99%, respectively. Formation of biomass-associated Se⁰ and Te⁰ was confirmed by XRD, Raman spectroscopy and SEM-EDX. Feeding of Se^IV and Te^IV elicited inhibitory action on ammonium removal initially, nonetheless removal performance was recovered during the subsequent cycles. Ammonium, total nitrogen and phosphorus removals were stabilized at 85%, 80% and 75%, respectively, at 500 µM of Se^IV and Te^IV. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene confirmed enrichment of known Se^IV and Te^IV reducing bacteria in the granules. qPCR and removal kinetics supported ammonia removal via nitritation-denitritation. This work demonstrates functional capabilities of AGS for effectively removing toxic Se^IV and Te^IV oxyanions apart from performing simultaneous COD, nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Efficient biological nutrient removal in the presence of toxic Se^IV and Te^IV concentrations, suggests robustness of AGS and its resilience to toxic contaminants.

Complete genome sequence of a tellurate reducing bacteria Sporosarcina sp. Te-1 isolated from Bohai Sea

A previously unreported tellurate reducing capacity was found in a marine bacteria Sporosarcina sp. Te-1, which was isolated from Bohai Sea, China. In this work, the complete genome of strain Te-1 was obtained using hybrid Nanopore/Illumina assemble method. A circular chromosome of 4,297,762 bp with a G + C content of 44.44 mol% was assembled. The genome harbors 4530 predicted protein-encoding genes, 71 tRNA genes, and 9 rRNA genes. Genes involved in tellurate metabolism, urea metabolism and salinity adaption were identified. These metabolic features reveal the genetic basis for the tellurate metabolism in the marine environment, which help us to further understand the marine tellurium biogeochemical cycle.

Impact of Tellurite on the Metabolism of Paenibacillus pabuli AL109b With Flagellin Production Explaining High Reduction Capacity

Tellurium (Te) is a metalloid with scarce and scattered abundance but with an increased interest in human activity for its uses in emerging technologies. As is seen for other metals and metalloids, the result of mining activity and improper disposal of high-tech devices will lead to niches with increased abundance of Te. This metalloid will be more available to bacteria and represent an increasing selective pressure. This environmental problem may constitute an opportunity to search for microorganisms with genetic and molecular mechanisms of microbial resistance to Te toxic anions. Organisms from Te-contaminated niches could provide tools for Te remediation and fabrication of Te-containing structures with added value. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of a high metal-resistant Paenibacillus pabuli strain ALJ109b, isolated from high metal content mining residues, to reduce tellurite ion, and to evaluate the formation of metallic tellurium by cellular reduction, isolate the protein responsible, and determine the metabolic response to tellurite during growth. P. pabuli ALJ109b demonstrated to be resistant to Te (IV) at concentrations higher than reported for its genus. It can efficiently remove soluble Te (IV) from solution, over 20% in 8 h of growth, and reduce it to elemental Te, forming monodisperse nanostructures, verified by scattering electron microscopy. Cultivation of P. pabuli ALJ109b in the presence of Te (IV) affected the general protein expression pattern, and hence the metabolism, as demonstrated by high-throughput proteomic analysis. The Te (IV)-induced metabolic shift is characterized by an activation of ROS response. Flagellin from P. pabuli ALJ109b demonstrates high Te (0) forming activity in neutral to basic conditions in a range of temperatures from 20°C to 37°C. In conclusion, the first metabolic characterization of a strain of P. pabuli response to Te (IV) reveals a highly resistant strain with a unique Te (IV) proteomic response. This strain, and its flagellin, display, all the features of potential tools for Te nanoparticle production.

Tellurium: A Rare Element with Influence on Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Biological Systems

Metalloid tellurium is characterized as a chemical element belonging to the chalcogen group without known biological function. However, its compounds, especially the oxyanions, exert numerous negative effects on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Recent evidence suggests that increasing environmental pollution with tellurium has a causal link to autoimmune, neurodegenerative and oncological diseases. In this review, we provide an overview about the current knowledge on the mechanisms of tellurium compounds' toxicity in bacteria and humans and we summarise the various ways organisms cope and detoxify these compounds. Over the last decades, several gene clusters conferring resistance to tellurium compounds have been identified in a variety of bacterial species and strains. These genetic determinants exhibit great genetic and functional diversity. Besides the existence of specific resistance mechanisms, tellurium and its toxic compounds interact with molecular systems, mediating general detoxification and mitigation of oxidative stress. We also discuss the similarity of tellurium and selenium biochemistry and the impact of their compounds on humans.

Identification of a TeO32- reductase/mycothione reductase from Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4

A Rhodococcus erythropolis bacterium that tolerates normally lethal concentrations of Fe(II), Cu(II), AsO32-, SeO32-, TeO32-, Cd(II) and Zn(II) was identified from an environmental isolate. In characterizing the molecular basis for metal tolerance, a mycothione reductase (Mtr) with remarkable selectivity for TeO32- reduction over SeO32- was identified. In equimolar concentrations of TeO32- and SeO32-, the enzymatic product contains a 7-fold excess of Te. This selectivity is remarkable because the standard reduction potential of SeO32- is 0.20 V more favorable for reduction than TeO32. Selectivity of the enzyme for TeO32- decreases with increasing assay pH. Homology modeling of the enzyme identifies four aromatic residues near the active site, including two histidine residues, that are not present in a related SeO32- preferring reductase. On the basis of more favorable π-interactions for Te than for Se and the pH dependence of the selectivity, the Te-selectivity is attributed in part to these aromatic residues. The resulting Te0 enzymatic product resembles Te nanowires.

Single-cell bacterial transcription measurements reveal the importance of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) hotspots in ocean sulfur cycling

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a pivotal compound in marine biogeochemical cycles and a key chemical currency in microbial interactions. Marine bacteria transform DMSP via two competing pathways with considerably different biogeochemical implications: demethylation channels sulfur into the microbial food web, whereas cleavage releases sulfur into the atmosphere. Here, we present single-cell measurements of the expression of these two pathways using engineered fluorescent reporter strains of Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, and find that external DMSP concentration dictates the relative expression of the two pathways. DMSP induces an upregulation of both pathways, but only at high concentrations (>1 μM for demethylation; >35 nM for cleavage), characteristic of microscale hotspots such as the vicinity of phytoplankton cells. Co-incubations between DMSP-producing microalgae and bacteria revealed an increase in cleavage pathway expression close to the microalgae’s surface. These results indicate that bacterial utilization of microscale DMSP hotspots is an important determinant of the fate of sulfur in the ocean.

DMSP is a ubiquitous organosulfur compound in the ocean that, once degraded by bacteria, plays key roles in global biogeochemical cycles and climate regulation. Here, the authors use single-cell measurements of transcription to investigate the intricate dynamics of bacterial DMSP degradation.

Extreme Environments and High-Level Bacterial Tellurite Resistance

Bacteria have long been known to possess resistance to the highly toxic oxyanion tellurite, most commonly though reduction to elemental tellurium. However, the majority of research has focused on the impact of this compound on microbes, namely E. coli, which have a very low level of resistance. Very little has been done regarding bacteria on the other end of the spectrum, with three to four orders of magnitude greater resistance than E. coli. With more focus on ecologically-friendly methods of pollutant removal, the use of bacteria for tellurite remediation, and possibly recovery, further highlights the importance of better understanding the effect on microbes, and approaches for resistance/reduction. The goal of this review is to compile current research on bacterial tellurite resistance, with a focus on high-level resistance by bacteria inhabiting extreme environments.

The tellurite-reducing bacterium Alteromonas macleodii from a culture of the toxic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum foraminosum

The Alteromonas macleodii strain 2328 was isolated from a clonal culture of the toxic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum foraminosum. The strain exhibits a resistance to high K₂TeO₃ concentrations (2500 μg/mL). A study of the growth dynamics of the strain exposed to K₂TeO₃ has shown a longer lag phase and a reduced stationary phase compared to those during cultivation with no toxicant. The fatty acids profile is dominated by 16:1 (n-7), 16:0, 17:1, 15:0, 18:1 (n-7), and 17:0. The 2328 strain belongs to the Gammaproteobacteria and is related to the genus Alteromonas with 99-100% sequence similarity to some intra-genome allele variants (paralogues) of 16S rRNA from A. macleodii. A phylogenetic reconstruction (ML and NJ), based on HyHK amino acid sequences, has revealed that the analyzed 2328 strain forms a common cluster with A. macleodii strains. In the presented work, the ability of A. macleodii to reduce potassium tellurite to elemental tellurium has been recorded for the first time. Bacteria reduce potassium tellurite to Te (0), nanoparticles of which become distributed diffusely and in the form of electron-dense globules in cytoplasm. Large polymorphous metalloid crystals are formed in the extracellular space. Such feature of the A. macleodii strain 2328 makes it quite attractive for biotechnological application as an organism concentrating the rare metalloid.

Diversity of salt-tolerant tellurate-reducing bacteria in a marine environment

Tellurium (Te) has been increasingly used as a semiconductor material in copious amounts, with a concomitant increase in its discharge from industrial effluents and mining wastewater into the environment. However, soluble Te, such as tellurate (VI) and tellurite (IV), is toxic to organisms. Thus, highly efficient technologies need to be developed for a double-benefit detoxification and recovery of soluble Te from industrial and mining wastewater. Since industrial wastewater contains high concentrations of salt, salt-tolerant microorganisms that metabolize rare metals such as Te have been the subject of focus for the effective detoxification and recovery of Te. In the present study, a total of 52 salt-tolerant tellurate-reducing microorganisms were isolated from marine environmental samples. Of these, 18 strains achieved greater than, or equal to, 50% removal of water-soluble Te from a medium containing 0.4 mM tellurate after 72 h incubation. The 18 isolated strains belonged to 13 species of the following 9 genera: Sulfitobacter, Ruegeria, Hoeflea, Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Shewanella, Idiomarina, and Vibrio. No microorganism has been reported to reduce tellurate and tellurite from six of the aforementioned genera, namely, Sulfitobacter, Ruegeria, Alteromonas, Marinobacter, Idiomarina, and Vibrio. Especially, one of the isolates Sulfitobacter sp. strain TK39B, removed 82% (w/w) of soluble Te with a 4% NaCl tolerance. These results showed that salt-tolerant tellurate-reducing bacteria that can be used in the detoxification and recovery of Te are widely present in the marine environment.

Formation of nanoscale Te0 and its effect on TeO32- reduction in CH4-based membrane biofilm reactor

Formation and recovery of elemental tellurium (Te⁰) from wastewaters are required by increasing demands and scarce resources. Membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) using gaseous electron donor has been reported as a low-cost and benign technique to reduce and recover metal (loids). In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of nanoscale Te⁰ formation by tellurite (TeO₃^2-) reduction in a CH₄-based MBfR. Biogenic Te⁰ intensively attached on cell surface, within diameters ranging from 10 nm to 30 nm and the hexagonal nanostructure. Along with the Te⁰ formation, the TeO₃^2- reduction was inhibited. After flushing, biofilm resumed the TeO₃^2- reduction ability, suggesting that the formed nanoscale Te⁰ might inhibit the reduction by hindering substrate transfer of TeO₃^2- to microbes. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that Thermomonas and Hyphomicrobium were possibly responsible for TeO₃^2- reduction since they increased consecutively along with the experiment operation. The PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) analysis showed that the sulfite reductases were positively correlated with the TeO₃^2- flux, indicating they were potential enzymes involved in reduction process. This study confirms the capability of CH₄-based MBfR in tellurium reduction and formation, and provides more techniques for resources recovery and recycles.

Tellurite biotransformation and detoxification by Shewanella baltica with simultaneous synthesis of tellurium nanorods exhibiting photo-catalytic and anti-biofilm activity

Tellurite reducing bacterial strain was isolated from Zuari estuary, Goa India which could tolerate 5.5 mM potassium tellurite with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 6 mM. This strain was designated as GUSDZ9 and was identified as Shewanella baltica (accession number: MF350629) based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and BLAST analysis. The Diethyl-dithiocarbamate based colorimetric analysis clearly demonstrated a complete reduction of 2 mM tellurite to elemental tellurium during the late stationary phase. Te Nanoparticles (TeNPs) biosynthesis which initiated at early log phase (i.e. 4 h) was evidently monitored through colour change and a peak due to surface plasmon resonance at 210 nm using UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis. X-ray crystallographic studies and transmission electron microscopy revealed unique nano-rods with a diameter ranging from 8 to 75 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis further confirmed the presence of pure tellurium. The biogenic TeNPs at 10 and 5 µg/mL evidently demonstrated 90% degradation of methylene blue dye and anti-biofilm activity against potential Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogens respectively. The alkaline comet assay revealed time and dose-dependent genotoxicity at concentrations higher than 15 µg/mL of TeNPs. This study clearly demonstrated the potential of Shewanella baltica strain GUSDZ9 in bioremediation of toxic tellurite through bio-reduction into elemental tellurium and involvement of biogenic TeNPs in the photo-catalytic reduction of methylene blue and anti-biofilm activity. This is the first report of its kind on the synthesis of biogenic TeNPs from Shewanella baltica demonstrating photo-catalytic, anti-biofilm activity as well as genotoxicity.

Mitochondrial ribosomal proteins involved in tellurite resistance in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A considerable body of evidence links together mitochondrial dysfunctions, toxic action of metalloid oxyanions, and system and neurodegenerative disorders. In this study we have used the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to investigate the genetic determinants associated with tellurite resistance/sensitivity. Nitrosoguanidine-induced K₂TeO₃-resistant mutants were isolated, and one of these mutants, named Sc57-Te₅^R, was characterized. Both random spore analysis and tetrad analysis and growth of heterozygous (Te^S/Te₅^R) diploid from Sc57-Te₅^R mutant revealed that nuclear and recessive mutation(s) was responsible for the resistance. To get insight into the mechanisms responsible for K₂TeO₃-resistance, RNA microarray analyses were performed with K₂TeO₃-treated and untreated Sc57-Te₅^R cells. A total of 372 differentially expressed loci were identified corresponding to 6.37% of the S. cerevisiae transcriptome. Of these, 288 transcripts were up-regulated upon K₂TeO₃ treatment. About half of up-regulated transcripts were associated with the following molecular functions: oxidoreductase activity, structural constituent of cell wall, transporter activity. Comparative whole-genome sequencing allowed us to identify nucleotide variants distinguishing Sc57-Te₅^R from parental strain Sc57. We detected 15 CDS-inactivating mutations, and found that 3 of them affected genes coding mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPL44 and NAM9) and mitochondrial ribosomal biogenesis (GEP3) pointing out to alteration of mitochondrial ribosome as main determinant of tellurite resistance.

Characterization of moderately halotolerant selenate- and tellurite-reducing bacteria isolated from brackish areas in Osaka

Moderately halotolerant selenate- and tellurite-reducing bacteria were characterized for wastewater treatment applications. A selenate-reducing strain 9a was isolated from the biofilm of a leachate treatment plant at a sea-based waste disposal site. A tellurite-reducing strain Taa was isolated from an enrichment culture derived from brackish sediment. Both bacterial strains were Shewanella species. Strain 9a could anaerobically remove 45-70% of 1.0 mM selenate and selenite from water containing up to 3% NaCl within 4 days, while strain Taa could anaerobically and aerobically remove 70-90% of 0.4 mM tellurite from water containing up to 6% NaCl within 3 days. Globular particles of insoluble selenium were observed both outside and inside the cells of strain 9a. The insoluble tellurium formed by strain Taa was globular under microaerobic conditions but nanorod under aerobic conditions. These bacteria will yield a range of useful selenium and tellurium nanomaterials as well as wastewater treatment applications.

Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 from a dump of roasted pyrites can be exploited as bacterial catalyst for the biogenesis of selenium and tellurium nanoparticles

Background

Bacteria have developed different mechanisms for the transformation of metalloid oxyanions to non-toxic chemical forms. A number of bacterial isolates so far obtained in axenic culture has shown the ability to bioreduce selenite and tellurite to the elemental state in different conditions along with the formation of nanoparticles—both inside and outside the cells—characterized by a variety of morphological features. This reductive process can be considered of major importance for two reasons: firstly, toxic and soluble (i.e. bioavailable) compounds such as selenite and tellurite are converted to a less toxic chemical forms (i.e. zero valent state); secondly, chalcogen nanoparticles have attracted great interest due to their photoelectric and semiconducting properties. In addition, their exploitation as antimicrobial agents is currently becoming an area of intensive research in medical sciences.

Results

In the present study, the bacterial strain Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1, isolated from a dump of roasted arsenopyrites as residues of a formerly sulfuric acid production near Scarlino (Tuscany, Italy) was analyzed for its capability of efficaciously bioreducing the chalcogen oxyanions selenite (SeO₃²⁻) and tellurite (TeO₃²⁻) to their respective elemental forms (Se⁰ and Te⁰) in aerobic conditions, with generation of Se- and Te-nanoparticles (Se- and TeNPs). The isolate could bioconvert 2 mM SeO₃²⁻ and 0.5 mM TeO₃²⁻ to the corresponding Se⁰ and Te⁰ in 48 and 120 h, respectively. The intracellular accumulation of nanomaterials was demonstrated through electron microscopy. Moreover, several analyses were performed to shed light on the mechanisms involved in SeO₃²⁻ and TeO₃²⁻ bioreduction to their elemental states. Results obtained suggested that these oxyanions are bioconverted through two different mechanisms in Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1. Glutathione (GSH) seemed to play a key role in SeO₃²⁻ bioreduction, while TeO₃²⁻ bioconversion could be ascribed to the catalytic activity of intracellular NADH-dependent oxidoreductases. The organic coating surrounding biogenic Se- and TeNPs was also characterized through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. This analysis revealed interesting differences among the NPs produced by Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 and suggested a possible different role of phospholipids and proteins in both biosynthesis and stabilization of such chalcogen-NPs.

Conclusions

In conclusion, Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 has demonstrated to be an ideal candidate for the bioconversion of toxic oxyanions such as selenite and tellurite to their respective elemental forms, producing intracellular Se- and TeNPs possibly exploitable in biomedical and industrial applications.

A comparative analysis of tellurite detoxification by members of the genus Shewanella

The increasing industrial utilization of tellurium has resulted in an important environmental pollution with the soluble, extremely toxic oxyanion tellurite. In this context, the use of microorganisms for detoxifying tellurite or tellurium biorecovery has gained great interest. The ability of different Shewanella strains to reduce tellurite to elemental tellurium was assessed; the results showed that the reduction process is dependent on electron transport and the ∆pH gradient. While S. baltica OS155 showed the highest tellurite resistance, S. putrefaciens was the most efficient in reducing tellurite. Moreover, pH-dependent tellurite transformation was associated with tellurium precipitation as tellurium dioxide. In summary, this work highlights the high tellurite reduction/detoxification ability exhibited by a number of Shewanella species, which could represent the starting point to develop friendly methods for the recovery of elemental tellurium (or tellurium dioxide).

Accumulation of heme biosynthetic intermediates contributes to the antibacterial action of the metalloid tellurite

The metalloid tellurite is highly toxic to microorganisms. Several mechanisms of action have been proposed, including thiol depletion and generation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide, but none of them can fully explain its toxicity. Here we use a combination of directed evolution and chemical and biochemical approaches to demonstrate that tellurite inhibits heme biosynthesis, leading to the accumulation of intermediates of this pathway and hydroxyl radical. Unexpectedly, the development of tellurite resistance is accompanied by increased susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, we show that the heme precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid, which is used as an antimicrobial agent in photodynamic therapy, potentiates tellurite toxicity. Our results define a mechanism of tellurite toxicity and warrant further research on the potential use of the combination of tellurite and 5-aminolevulinic acid in antimicrobial therapy.

The mechanisms of action of the antibacterial metalloid tellurite are unclear. Here, the authors show that tellurite induces an accumulation of hydroxyl radical and intermediates of heme biosynthesis in E. coli, and that the heme precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid potentiates tellurite toxicity.

Tellurite and Tellurate Reduction by the Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototroph Erythromonas ursincola, Strain KR99 Is Carried out by a Novel Membrane Associated Enzyme

Erythromonas ursincola, strain KR99 isolated from a freshwater thermal spring of Kamchatka Island in Russia, resists and reduces very high levels of toxic tellurite under aerobic conditions. Reduction is carried out by a constitutively expressed membrane associated enzyme, which was purified and characterized. The tellurite reductase has a molecular weight of 117 kDa, and is comprised of two subunits (62 and 55 kDa) in a 1:1 ratio. Optimal activity occurs at pH 7.0 and 28 °C. Tellurite reduction has a V_max of 5.15 µmol/min/mg protein and a K_m of 3.36 mM. The enzyme can also reduce tellurate with a V_max and K_m of 1.08 µmol/min/mg protein and 1.44 mM, respectively. This is the first purified membrane associated Te oxyanion reductase.

Recovery of Elemental Tellurium Nanoparticles by the Reduction of Tellurium Oxyanions in a Methanogenic Microbial Consortium

This research focuses on the microbial recovery of elemental tellurium (Te(0)) from aqueous streams containing soluble tellurium oxyanions, tellurate (Te(VI)), and tellurite (Te(IV)). An anaerobic mixed microbial culture occurring in methanogenic granular sludge was able to biocatalyze the reduction of both Te oxyanions to produce Te(0) nanoparticles (NPs) in sulfur-free medium. Te(IV) reduction was seven times faster than that of Te(VI), such that Te(IV) did not accumulate to a great extent during Te(VI) reduction. Endogenous substrates in the granular sludge provided the electron equivalents required to reduce Te oxyanions; however, the reduction rates were modestly increased with an exogenous electron donor such as H2. The effect of four redox mediators (anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate, hydroxocobalamin, riboflavin, and lawsone) was also tested. Riboflavin increased the rate of Te(IV) reduction eleven-fold and also enhanced the fraction Te recovered as extracellular Te(0) NPs from 21% to 64%. Lawsone increased the rate of Te(VI) reduction five-fold, and the fraction of Te recovered as extracellular material increased from 49% to 83%. The redox mediators and electron donors also impacted the morphologies and localization of Te(0) NPs, suggesting that NP production can be tailored for a particular application.

The Effect of Tellurite on Highly Resistant Freshwater Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophs and Their Strategies for Reduction

Six fresh water aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (Erythromicrobium ezovicum, strain E1; Erythromicrobium hydrolyticum, E4(1); Erythromicrobium ramosum, E5; Erythromonas ursincola, KR99; Sandaracinobacter sibiricus, RB 16-17; and Roseococcus thiosulfatophilus, RB3) possessing high level resistance to TeO₃²⁻ and the ability to reduce it to elemental Te were studied to understand their interaction with this highly toxic oxyanion. Tested organic carbon sources, pH, and level of aeration all had an impact on reduction. Physiological and metabolic responses of cells to tellurite varied among strains. In its presence, versus absence, cellular biomass either increased (KR99, 66.6% and E5, 21.2%) or decreased (RB3, 66.1%, E1, 57.8%, RB 16-17, 41.5%, and E4(1), 21.3%). The increase suggests a possible benefit from tellurite. Cellular ATP production was similarly affected, resulting in an increase (KR99, 15.2% and E5, 38.9%) or decrease (E4(1), 31.9%; RB 16-17, 48.8%; RB3, 55.9%; E1, 35.9%). Two distinct strategies to tellurite reduction were identified. The first, found in E4(1), requires de novo protein preparations as well as an undisturbed whole cell. The second strategy, in which reduction depended on a membrane associated constitutive reductase, was used by the remaining strains.

Tellurium as a valuable tool for studying the prokaryotic origins of mitochondria

Mitochondria are eukaryotic organelles which contain the own genetic material and evolved from free-living Eubacteria, namely hydrogen-producing Alphaproteobacteria. Since 1965, biologists provided, by research at molecular level, evidence for the prokaryotic origins of mitochondria. However, determining the precise origins of mitochondria is challenging due to inherent difficulties in phylogenetically reconstructing ancient evolutionary events. The use of new tools to evidence the prokaryotic origin of mitochondria could be useful to gain an insight into the bacterial endosymbiotic event that resulted in the permanent acquisition of bacteria, from the ancestral cell, that through time were transformed into mitochondria. Electron microscopy has shown that both proteobacterial and yeast cells during their growth in the presence of increasing amount of tellurite resulted in dose-dependent blackening of the culture due to elemental tellurium (Te(0)) that formed large deposits either along the proteobacterial membrane or along the yeast cell wall and mitochondria. Since the mitochondrial inner membrane composition is similar to that of proteobacterial membrane, in the present work we evidenced the black tellurium deposits on both, cell wall and mitochondria of ρ(+) and respiratory deficient ρ(-) mutants of yeast. A possible role of tellurite in studying the evolutionary origins of mitochondria will be discussed.

Accumulation of amorphous Cr(III)-Te(IV) nanoparticles on the surface of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 through reduction of Cr(VI)

Industrial effluents constitute a major source of metal pollution of aquatic bodies. Moreover, due to their environmental persistence, toxic metal pollution is of special concern. Microbial reduction is considered a promising strategy for toxic metal removal among the several methods available for metal remediation. Here, we describe the coremediation of toxic Cr(VI) and Te(IV) by the dissimilatory metal reducing bacterium-Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. In the presence of both Cr(VI) and Te(IV), S. oneidensis MR-1 reduced Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(III) form, but not Te(IV) to Te(0). The reduced Cr(III) ions complexed rapidly with Te(IV) ions and were precipitated from the cell cultures. Electron microscopic analyses revealed that the Cr-Te complexed nanoparticles localized on the bacterial outer membranes. K-edge X-ray absorption spectrometric analyses demonstrated that Cr(III) produced by S. oneidensis MR-1 was rapidly complexed with Te(IV) ions, followed by formation of amorphous Cr(III)-Te(IV) nanoparticles on the cell surface. Our results could be applied for the simultaneous sequestration and detoxification of both Cr(VI) and Te(IV) as well as for the preparation of nanomaterials through environmental friendly processes.

Bacterial recovery and recycling of tellurium from tellurium-containing compounds by Pseudoalteromonas sp. EPR3

AIMS

Tellurium-based devices, such as photovoltaic (PV) modules and thermoelectric generators, are expected to play an increasing role in renewable energy technologies. Tellurium, however, is one of the scarcest elements in the earth's crust, and current production and recycling methods are inefficient and use toxic chemicals. This study demonstrates an alternative, bacterially mediated tellurium recovery process.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We show that the hydrothermal vent microbe Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain EPR3 can convert tellurium from a wide variety of compounds, industrial sources and devices into metallic tellurium and a gaseous tellurium species. These compounds include metallic tellurium (Te(0)), tellurite (TeO3(2-)), copper autoclave slime, tellurium dioxide (TeO2), tellurium-based PV material (cadmium telluride, CdTe) and tellurium-based thermoelectric material (bismuth telluride, Bi2Te3). Experimentally, this was achieved by incubating these tellurium sources with the EPR3 in both solid and liquid media.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the fact that many of these tellurium compounds are considered insoluble in aqueous solution, they can nonetheless be transformed by EPR3, suggesting the existence of a steady state soluble tellurium concentration during tellurium transformation.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

These experiments provide insights into the processes of tellurium precipitation and volatilization by bacteria, and their implications on tellurium production and recycling.

Bioaccumulation and biovolatilization of various elements using filamentous fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis

Biovolatilization and bioaccumulation capabilities of different elements by microscopic filamentous fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis were observed. Accumulation of As(III), As(V), Se(IV), Se(VI), Sb(III), Sb(V), Te(IV), Te(VI), Hg(II), Tl(I) and Bi(III) by S. brevicaulis was quantified by analysing the amount of elements in biomass of the fungus using ICP AAS. The highest amounts of bioaccumulated metal(loid)s were obtained as follows: Bi(III) > Te(IV) > Hg(II) > Se(IV) > Te(VI) > Sb(III) at different initial contents, with Bi(III) accumulation approximately 87%. The highest percentages of volatilization were found using Hg(II) (50%) and Se(IV) (46·5%); it was also demonstrated with all studied elements. This proved the biovolatilization ability of microscopic fungi under aerobic conditions. The highest removed amount was observed using Hg(II) (95·30%), and more than 80% of Se(IV), Te(IV), Bi(III) and Hg(II) was removed by bioaccumulation and biovolatilization, which implies the possibilities of use of these processes for bioremediations. There were reported significant differences between bioaccumulation and biovolatilization of almost all applied metal(loid)s if valence is mentioned.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Microbial accumulation and volatilization are natural processes involved in biogeochemical cycles of elements. Despite their impact on mobility, bioavailability and toxicity of various metal(loid)s, only few papers deal with these processes under aerobic conditions with microscopic fungi. Thus, the proving of ability of microscopic fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis to accumulate and transform metals and metalloids by methylation or alkylation and quantification of these processes were demonstrated. The results can provide basic information on natural elements cycling and background for more specific studies focusing, for example, on application of these processes in mitigation of metal(loid) contamination.

Biological accumulation of tellurium nanorod structures via reduction of tellurite by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

The dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, reduced tellurite (Te(IV), TeO(3)(2-)) to elemental tellurium under anaerobic conditions resulting in the intracellular accumulation of needle shaped crystalline Te(0) nanorods. Fatty acid analyses showed that toxic Te(IV) increased the unsaturated fatty acid composition of the lipid components of the cell membrane, implying a deconstruction of the integrity of the cellular membrane structure. The current results suggest that dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria such as S. oneidensis MR-1 may play an important role in recycling toxic tellurium elements, and may be applied as a novel selective biological filter via the accumulation of industry-applicable rare materials, Te(0) nanorods, in the cell.

Volatile dimethyl polonium produced by aerobic marine microorganisms

The production of volatile polonium (Po(v)), a naturally occurring radioactive element, by pure cultures of aerobic marine tellurite-resistant microorganisms was investigated. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, a carotogenic yeast, and a Bacillus sp. strain, a Gram-positive bacterium, generated approximately one and 2 orders of magnitude, respectively, greater amounts of Po(v) compared to the other organisms tested. Gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS) analysis identified dimethyl polonide (DMPo) as the predominant volatile Po compound in culture headspace of the yeast. This species assignment is based on the exact relation between GC retention times and boiling points of this and other Group VI B analogues (S, Se, and Te). The extent of the biotic Po(v) production correlates exponentially with elevated particulate Po (Po(p)): dissolved Po (Po(aq)) ratios in the cultures, consistent with efficient Po bioaccumulation. Further experimentation demonstrated that some abiotic Po(v) generation is possible. However, high-level Po(v) generation in these cultures is predominantly biotic.

Aeration controls the reduction and methylation of tellurium by the aerobic, tellurite-resistant marine yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

We previously described a marine, tellurite-resistant strain of the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa that both precipitates intracellular Te0 and volatilizes methylated Te compounds when grown in the presence of the oxyanion tellurite. The uses of microbes as a "green" route for the production of Te0-containing nanostructures and for the remediation of Te-oxyanion wastes have great potential, and so a more thorough understanding of this process is required. Here, Te precipitation and volatilization catalyzed by R. mucilaginosa were examined in continuously aerated and sealed (low oxygen concentration) batch cultures. Continuous aeration was found to strongly promote Te volatilization while inhibiting Te0 precipitation. This differs from the results in sealed batch cultures, for which tellurite reduction to Te0 was found to be very efficient. We show also that volatile Te species may be degraded rapidly in medium and converted to the particulate form by biological activity. Further experiments revealed that Te0 precipitates produced by R. mucilaginosa can be further transformed to volatile and dissolved Te species. However, it was not clearly determined whether Te0 is a required intermediate for Te volatilization. Based on these results, we conclude that low oxygen concentrations will be the most efficient for production of Te0 nanoparticles while limiting the production of toxic volatile Te species, although the production of these compounds may never be completely eliminated.

Structure and mechanism of the chalcogen-detoxifying protein TehB from Escherichia coli

The oxyanion derivatives of the chalcogens tellurium and selenium are toxic to living organisms even at very low levels. Bacteria have developed mechanisms to overcome their toxicity by methylating them. The structure of TehB from Escherichia coli has been determined in the presence of the cofactor analogues SAH (S-adenosylhomocysteine) and sinefungin (a non-hydrolysable form of S-adenosyl-L-methionine) at 1.48 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm) and 1.9 Å respectively. Interestingly, our kinetic data show that TehB does not discriminate between selenium or tellurite oxyanions, making it a very powerful detoxifying protein. Analysis of the active site has identified three conserved residues that are capable of binding and orientating the metals for nucleophilic attack: His176, Arg177 and Arg184. Mutagenesis studies revealed that the H176A and R184A mutants retained most of their activity, whereas the R177A mutant had 65% of its activity abolished. Based on the structure and kinetic data we propose an SN2 nucleophilic attack reaction mechanism. These data provide the first molecular understanding of the detoxification of chalcogens by bacteria.

Crystallization and initial X-ray diffraction analysis of the tellurite-resistance S-adenosyl-L-methionine transferase protein TehB from Escherichia coli

TehB is an S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) dependent methyltransferase that detoxifies tellurite in bacteria. The Escherichia coli TehB protein was purified and crystallized in the presence of both SAM and sinefungin. The TehB-SAM and TehB-sinefungin crystals both diffracted X-rays to 1.9 Å resolution. The TehB-SAM crystals belonged to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 60.0, b = 56.1, c = 130.6 Å, β = 97.9°. The TehB-sinefungin crystals belonged to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 59.1, b = 55.5, c = 129.7 Å, β = 95.9°.

Simultaneously discrete biomineralization of magnetite and tellurium nanocrystals in magnetotactic bacteria

Magnetotactic bacteria synthesize intracellular magnetosomes comprising membrane-enveloped magnetite crystals within the cell which can be manipulated by a magnetic field. Here, we report the first example of tellurium uptake and crystallization within a magnetotactic bacterial strain, Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1. These bacteria independently crystallize tellurium and magnetite within the cell. This is also highly significant as tellurite (TeO(3)(2-)), an oxyanion of tellurium, is harmful to both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Additionally, due to its increasing use in high-technology products, tellurium is very precious and commercially desirable. The use of microorganisms to recover such molecules from polluted water has been considered as a promising bioremediation technique. However, cell recovery is a bottleneck in the development of this approach. Recently, using the magnetic property of magnetotactic bacteria and a cell surface modification technology, the magnetic recovery of Cd(2+) adsorbed onto the cell surface was reported. Crystallization within the cell enables approximately 70 times more bioaccumulation of the pollutant per cell than cell surface adsorption, while utilizing successful recovery with a magnetic field. This fascinating dual crystallization of magnetite and tellurium by magnetotactic bacteria presents an ideal system for both bioremediation and magnetic recovery of tellurite.

Formation, Occurrence, Significance, and Analysis of Organoselenium and Organotellurium Compounds in the Environment

Among all environmentally-relevant trace elements, selenium has one of the most diverse organic chemistries. It is also one of the few trace elements that may biomagnify in food chains under certain conditions. Yet, the exact chemical forms of selenium involved in the uptake into organisms and transfer to higher trophic levels, as well as the biochemical mechanisms that lead to their subsequent metabolism in organisms, are still not well understood. This is in part due to the analytical challenges associated with measuring the myriad of discrete Se species occurring in organisms. While there are generalized concepts of selenium metabolism, there is a lack of conclusive analytical evidence supporting the existence of many postulated intermediates. Likewise, there is a disconnect between the major selenium species encountered in abiotic compartments (waters, soils, and sediment), and those found in organisms, which renders the qualitative and quantitative description of the bioaccumulation process uncertain. Here, we summarize the knowledge on important selenium and tellurium species in all environmental compartments, and identify gaps and uncertainties in the existing body of knowledge, with emphasis on problems associated with past and current analytical methodology.

Effects of tellurite on growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The effects of potassium tellurite on growth and survival of rho(+) and rho(0) Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were investigated. Both rho(+) and rho(0) strains grew on a fermentable carbon source with up to 1.2 mM K(2)TeO(3), while rho(+) yeast cells grown on a non-fermentable carbon source were inhibited at tellurite levels as low as 50 muM suggesting that this metalloid specifically inhibited mitochondrial functions. Growth of rho(+) yeast cells in the presence of increasing amount of tellurite resulted in dose-dependent blackening of the culture, a phenomenon not observed with rho(0) cultures. Transmission electron microscopy of S. cerevisiae rho(+) cells grown in the presence of tellurite showed that blackening was likely due to elemental tellurium (Te(0)) that formed large deposits along the cell wall and small precipitates in both the cytoplasm and mitochondria.

Enrichment and isolation of Bacillus beveridgei sp. nov., a facultative anaerobic haloalkaliphile from Mono Lake, California, that respires oxyanions of tellurium, selenium, and arsenic

Mono Lake sediment slurries incubated with lactate and tellurite [Te(IV)] turned progressively black with time because of the precipitation of elemental tellurium [Te(0)]. An enrichment culture was established from these slurries that demonstrated Te(IV)-dependent growth. The enrichment was purified by picking isolated black colonies from lactate/Te(IV) agar plates, followed by repeated streaking and picking. The isolate, strain MLTeJB, grew in aqueous Te(IV)-medium if provided with a small amount of sterile solid phase material (e.g., agar plug; glass beads). Strain MLTeJB grew at high concentrations of Te(IV) (~8 mM) by oxidizing lactate to acetate plus formate, while reducing Te(IV) to Te(0). Other electron acceptors that were found to sustain growth were tellurate, selenate, selenite, arsenate, nitrate, nitrite, fumarate and oxygen. Notably, growth on arsenate, nitrate, nitrite and fumarate did not result in the accumulation of formate, implying that in these cases lactate was oxidized to acetate plus CO(2). Strain MLTeJB is a low G + C Gram positive motile rod with pH, sodium, and temperature growth optima at 8.5-9.0, 0.5-1.5 M, and 40 degrees C, respectively. The epithet Bacillus beveridgei strain MLTeJB(T) is proposed.