1
|
Qiu YY, Zou J, Xia J, Li H, Zhen Y, Yang Y, Guo J, Zhang L, Qiu R, Jiang F. Adaptability of sulfur-disproportionating bacteria for mine water remediation under the pressures of heavy metal ions and high sulfate content. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 249:120898. [PMID: 38086206 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Biological sulfide production processes mediated by sulfate/sulfur reduction have gained attention for metal removal from industrial wastewater (e.g., mine water (MW) and metallurgical wastewater) via forming insoluble metal sulfides. However, these processes often necessitate the addition of external organic compounds as electron donors, which poses a constraint on the broad application of this technology. A recent proof of concept study reported that microbial sulfur disproportionation (SD) produced sulfide with no demand for organics, which could achieve more cost-benefit MW treatment against the above-mentioned processes. However, the resistance of SD bioprocess to different metals and high sulfate content in MW remains mysterious, which may substantially affect the practical applicability of such process. In this study, the sulfur-disproportionating bacteria (SDB)-dominated consortium was enriched from a previously established SD-driven bioreactor, in which Dissulfurimicrobium sp. with a relative abundance of 39.9 % was the predominated SDB. When exposed to the real pretreated acidic MW after the pretreatment process of pH amelioration, the sulfur-disproportionating activity remained active, and metals were effectively removed from the MW. Metal tolerance assays further demonstrated that the consortium had a good tolerance to different metal ions (i.e., Pb2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Zn2+), especially for Mn2+ with a concentration of approximately 20 mg/L. It suggested the robustness of Dissulfurimicrobium sp. likely due to the presence of genes encoding for the enzymes associated with metal(loid) resistance/uptake. Additionally, although high sulfate content resulted in a slight inhibition on the sulfur-disproportionating activity, the consortium still achieved sulfide production rates of 27.3 mg S/g VSS-d on average under an environmentally relevant sulfate level (i.e., 1100 mg S/L), which is comparable to those reported in sulfate reduction. Taken together, these findings imply that SDB could ensure sustainable MW treatment in a more cost-effective and organic-free way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ying Qiu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahui Zou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juntao Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuming Zhen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanduo Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahua Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongliang Qiu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, School of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial International Joint Research Center on Urban Water Management and Treatment, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zou J, Qiu YY, Li H, Jiang F. Sulfur disproportionation realizes an organic-free sulfidogenic process for sustainable treatment of acid mine drainage. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 232:119647. [PMID: 36738555 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biological sulfidogenic processes (BSPs) have been considered effective biotechnologies for the treatment of organic-deficit acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metal recovery. However, high-rate sulfide production relies on the continuous addition of exogenous organic substrates as electron donors to facilitate dissimilatory sulfate reduction, which substantially increases the operational cost and CO2 emission and also limits the wide application of BSPs in AMD treatment. In this study, we proposed a novel chemoautotrophic elemental sulfur disproportionation (SD) process as an alternative to conventional BSPs for treating AMD, in which sulfur-disproportionating bacteria (SDB) disproportionates sulfur to sulfide and sulfate without organic substrate supplementation. During the 393-day lab-scale test, we observed that the sulfur-disproportionating reactor (SDR) achieved a stable high-rate sulfide production, with a maximal rate of 21.10 mg S/L-h at an organic-substrate-free condition. This high rate of sulfide production suggested that the SD process could provide sufficient sulfide to precipitate metal ions from AMD. Thermodynamics analysis and batch tests further revealed that alkalinity rather than sulfate was the critical factor influencing the SD process, suggesting that the abundant sulfate present in AMD would not inhibit the SD process. The critical condition of SD in the SDR was therefore determined. Microbial community analysis showed that Dissulfurimicrobium sp. was the dominant SDB during the long-term operation regardless of dynamic sulfate and/or alkalinity concentrations, which provides evidence that SDB can be employed for sustainable and high-rate sulfide production for engineering purposes. A multi-stage AMD treatment system equipped with a SDR removed over 99% of the influent metals (i.e., Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, Pb) from AMD except for Mn. This study demonstrated that the novel SD process is a green and promising biotechnology for the sustainable treatment of organic-deficient metal-laden wastewater, such as AMD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Zou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Ying Qiu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial International Joint Research Center on Urban Water Management and Treatment, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Disproportionation of Inorganic Sulfur Compounds by Mesophilic Chemolithoautotrophic Campylobacterota. mSystems 2023; 8:e0095422. [PMID: 36541763 PMCID: PMC9948710 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00954-22] [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] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The disproportionation of inorganic sulfur compounds could be widespread in natural habitats, and microorganisms could produce energy to support primary productivity through this catabolism. However, the microorganisms that carry this process out and the catabolic pathways at work remain relatively unstudied. Here, we investigated the bacterial diversity involved in sulfur disproportionation in hydrothermal plumes from Carlsberg Ridge in the northwestern Indian Ocean by enrichment cultures. A bacterial community analysis revealed that bacteria of the genera Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum, belonging to the phylum Campylobacterota and previously having been characterized as chemolithoautotrophic sulfur oxidizers, were the most dominant members in six enrichment cultures. Subsequent bacterial isolation and physiological studies confirmed that five Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum isolates could disproportionate thiosulfate and elemental sulfur. The ability to disproportionate sulfur was also demonstrated in several strains of Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum that were isolated from hydrothermal vents or other natural environments. Dialysis membrane experiments showed that S0 disproportionation did not require the direct contact of cells with bulk sulfur. A comparative genomic analysis showed that Campylobacterota strains did not contain some genes of the Dsr and rDSR pathways (aprAB, dsrAB, dsrC, dsrMKJOP, and qmoABC) that are involved in sulfur disproportionation in some other taxa, suggesting the existence of an unrevealed catabolic pathway for sulfur disproportionation. These findings provide evidence for the catabolic versatility of these Campylobacterota genera, which are widely distributed in chemosynthetic environments, and expand our knowledge of the microbial taxa involved in this reaction of the biogeochemical sulfur cycle in hydrothermal vent environments. IMPORTANCE The phylum Campylobacterota, notably represented by the genera Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum, is ubiquitous and predominant in deep-sea hydrothermal systems. It is well-known to be the major chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing group in these habitats. Herein, we show that the mesophilic predominant chemolithoautotrophs of the genera Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum could grow via sulfur disproportionation to gain energy. This is the first report of the chemolithoautotrophic disproportionation of thiosulfate and elemental sulfur within the genera Sulfurimonas and Sulfurovum, and this comes in addition to their already known role in the chemolithoautotrophic oxidation of sulfur compounds. Sulfur disproportionation via chemolithoautotrophic Campylobacterota may represent a previously unrecognized primary production process in hydrothermal vent ecosystems.
Collapse
|
4
|
Hashimoto Y, Shimamura S, Tame A, Sawayama S, Miyazaki J, Takai K, Nakagawa S. Physiological and comparative proteomic characterization of Desulfolithobacter dissulfuricans gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel mesophilic, sulfur-disproportionating chemolithoautotroph from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1042116. [PMID: 36532468 PMCID: PMC9751629 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1042116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In deep-sea hydrothermal environments, inorganic sulfur compounds are important energy substrates for sulfur-oxidizing, -reducing, and -disproportionating microorganisms. Among these, sulfur-disproportionating bacteria have been poorly understood in terms of ecophysiology and phylogenetic diversity. Here, we isolated and characterized a novel mesophilic, strictly chemolithoautotrophic, diazotrophic sulfur-disproportionating bacterium, designated strain GF1T, from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney at the Suiyo Seamount in the Izu-Bonin Arc, Japan. Strain GF1T disproportionated elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, and tetrathionate in the presence of ferrihydrite. The isolate also grew by respiratory hydrogen oxidation coupled to sulfate reduction. Phylogenetic and physiological analyses support that strain GF1T represents the type strain of a new genus and species in the family Desulfobulbaceae, for which the name Desulfolithobacter dissulfuricans gen. nov. sp. nov. is proposed. Proteomic analysis revealed that proteins related to tetrathionate reductase were specifically and abundantly produced when grown via thiosulfate disproportionation. In addition, several proteins possibly involved in thiosulfate disproportionation, including those encoded by the YTD gene cluster, were also found. The overall findings pointed to a possible diversity of sulfur-disproportionating bacteria in hydrothermal systems and provided a refined picture of microbial sulfur disproportionation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yurina Hashimoto
- Laboratory of Marine Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Shigeru Shimamura
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Akihiro Tame
- General Affairs Department, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
- Department of Marine and Earth Sciences, Marine Works Japan Ltd., Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Shigeki Sawayama
- Laboratory of Marine Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Junichi Miyazaki
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Ken Takai
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
- Section for Exploration of Life in Extreme Environments, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nakagawa
- Laboratory of Marine Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Japan
- Section for Exploration of Life in Extreme Environments, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Allioux M, Yvenou S, Godfroy A, Shao Z, Jebbar M, Alain K. Genome analysis of a new sulphur disproportionating species Thermosulfurimonas strain F29 and comparative genomics of sulfur-disproportionating bacteria from marine hydrothermal vents. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 36136081 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports on the genome analysis of strain F29 representing a new species of the genus Thermosulfurimonas. This strain, isolated from the Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is able to grow by disproportionation of S0 with CO2 as a carbon source. Strain F29 possesses a genome of 2,345,565 bp, with a G+C content of 58.09%, and at least one plasmid. The genome analysis revealed complete sets of genes for CO2 fixation via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, for sulphate-reduction and for hydrogen oxidation, suggesting the involvement of the strain into carbon, sulphur, and hydrogen cycles of deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Strain F29 genome encodes also several CRISPR sequences, suggesting that the strain may be subjected to viral attacks. Comparative genomics was carried out to decipher sulphur disproportionation pathways. Genomes of sulphur-disproportionating bacteria from marine hydrothermal vents were compared to the genomes of non-sulphur-disproportionating bacteria. This analysis revealed the ubiquitous presence in these genomes of a molybdopterin protein consisting of a large and a small subunit, and an associated chaperone. We hypothesize that these proteins may be involved in the process of elemental sulphur disproportionation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Allioux
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins Profonds BEEP, UMR 6197, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Stéven Yvenou
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins Profonds BEEP, UMR 6197, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Anne Godfroy
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins Profonds BEEP, UMR 6197, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, PR China
| | - Mohamed Jebbar
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins Profonds BEEP, UMR 6197, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Karine Alain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins Profonds BEEP, UMR 6197, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| |
Collapse
|