嗜酸硫氧化细菌消解元素硫的研究进展

浸矿酸性环境下,金属硫化矿在Fe3+作用下,经过硫代硫酸盐途径或多聚硫化氢途径而分解的过程中导致大量元素硫的累积,进而可能在金属硫化矿表面形成疏水元素硫层,阻碍金属离子的进一步浸出。酸性环境下,惰性元素硫的消解必须借助嗜酸硫氧化细菌来实现。该消解过程包括嗜酸硫氧化细菌对元素硫的吸附、转运以及氧化转化等过程。本文对近年来嗜酸硫氧化细菌消解元素硫过程的相关研究进行了全面评述,认为有关嗜酸硫氧化细菌消解元素硫的分子机制的清晰阐述还有待人们通过对消解过程的各个环节的分子机制进行大量研究来实现。     

云南省蒙自酸性矿山排水微生物群落结构和功能

为探究酸性矿山排水生态系统不同环境中的微生物群落和功能,全面了解酸性矿山排水的形成和发展规律,采用高通量测序技术研究云南省蒙自某矿区酸矿水坑和周边溪水中的原核微生物群落组成,并结合样本理化特征分析影响群落结构的主要因素,进而解析菌群的环境功能。研究发现酸矿水坑中主要有广古菌门、变形菌门(包括α、γ和δ变形菌纲)、硝化螺菌门、厚壁菌门、放线菌门和酸杆菌门等类群,与周边溪水的群落结构具有明显差异。群落多样性与pH呈显著正相关,而热原体纲(Thermoplasmata)与pH呈负相关,可对群落结构起主导作用。酸矿水坑不同样本中均具有高丰度的亚铁原体属Ferroplasma (6.60%–86.34%),酸硫杆菌属Acidithiobacillus是酸矿水和沉积泥中主要的铁、硫氧化细菌,而专性铁氧化的钩端螺旋菌属Leptospirillum的丰度较低,铁卵形菌属Ferrovum几乎只存在于酸矿水中;此外,嗜酸或耐酸的异养菌广泛分布于酸矿水和沉积泥中,它们可促进铁、硫氧化菌的生长及催化矿石溶解。结果表明,pH通过影响微生物多样性和菌群分布而对酸性矿山排水环境微生物群落结构造成重大影响。     

极端嗜酸微生物

一般认为,极端嗜酸微生物指那些生长ｐＨ上限为３．０最适生长ｐＨ在１．０～２．５之间的微生物。它们一般分布于金属硫矿床酸性矿水、生物滤沥堆、煤矿床酸性矿水以及合硫温泉和土壤中,包括原核和真核两大类。其中原核嗜酸微生物依生长的温度范围不同又可划分成常温型、中温型和高温型３个类群。由于嗜酸微生物在低品位矿生物滤沥及煤的脱硫等方面有重要应用前景,因此受到广泛重视。１极端嗜酸微生物的多样性及主要类群在极端酸性环境中的真核生命几乎完全限于微生物。在黄石公园的温泉水体中已分离到光合作用的藻类。从其它一些地方金…     

隐藏嗜酸菌Acidiphilium cryptum的研究进展

分离自酸性矿坑水的隐藏嗜酸菌Acidiphilium cryptum具有化能兼养型细菌的典型特征,在缺乏有机质的环境中能启用体内硫氧化代谢途径营化能自养,进行硫化矿物的分解;而在有机质存在时该菌营异养生长,并在体内合成聚β羟基丁酸酯(polyhydroxybutyrate,PHB),此外在酸性条件下对Fe(III)和Cr(VI)等金属离子具有还原作用,并具有发展微生物燃料电池的潜力.该菌因其独特的生理特性及在浸矿微生物群落中的显著生态地位而在生物冶金、环境修复、生物材料等领域具有重要的经济和社会意义.对隐藏嗜酸菌的生物学特性、分离培养方法、重要特性的研究进展以及应用等方面的国内外研究现状进行综述,并对其应用前景和研究趋势进行展望.     

嗜酸嗜热浸矿微生物

随着人们对浸矿菌的研究不断加深,嗜热嗜酸菌的浸矿潜力及在微生物冶金中的作用和地位得到认识,利用嗜热菌对矿石进行高效浸出已成为微生物冶金领域的研究重点。嗜热微生物包括中度嗜热微生物和极端嗜热微生物,主要栖息于热泉、工厂高温废水排放区以及火山口等高温环境中。本综述总结了嗜热浸矿微生物种类,分析了嗜中温菌和极端嗜热菌等嗜酸菌种的生长习性、利用的能源物质、浸矿能力等,并进一步介绍了嗜热嗜酸微生物在高温生物冶金中的发展及应用。     

嗜酸菌研究进展

极端环境微生物是当今生命科学领域的研究热点。嗜酸菌是极端环境微生物的重要类群,在人们生活生产中发挥着巨大的作用。介绍了嗜酸菌的主要类群及特征,阐述了它们在自然界的主要行为、适应酸和重金属的生理机制以及分子遗传学研究进展,最后介绍了嗜酸菌在实际生产中的主要应用。     

氯离子对硫铁矿生物氧化的影响及所产废水体系生物成矿行为

探究氯离子(Cl~-)对硫铁矿生物氧化的影响有利于揭示酸性矿山废水(acid mine drainage,AMD)形成规律,进一步探索废水体系生物成矿特征对明确生物成矿对AMD产生的调控亦具有积极意义。本文采用摇瓶试验,在探究Cl~-对硫铁矿生物氧化(生物氧化过程不补充微生物所需的液体培养基)影响的基础上,进一步考察了硫铁矿氧化所得酸性废水体系次生铁矿物的合成行为。结果表明:当体系Cl~-浓度为8.2 mmol·L~(-1时,硫铁矿生物氧化速率相对于对照体系(无Cl~-加入)无明显差异;当体系Cl~-浓度为16.5 mmol·L~(-1)时,一定程度上促进了硫铁矿的生物氧化;高浓度(49.4~65.8 mmol·L~(-1)Cl~-对硫铁矿的生物氧化有显著的抑制作用。例如,初始Cl~-浓度为0、8.2、16.5和65.8 mmol·L~(-1)各处理,当硫铁矿生物氧化至68 d时,体系总Fe离子浓度分别为1204.56、1218.09、1431.50及796.48mg·L~(-1)。各处理生物氧化后的硫铁矿表面有明显的微生物侵蚀坑,而其表面却并没有观察到次生铁矿物的合成。各处理体系所得硫铁矿生物氧化后,54.3%~79.5%总Fe离子以Fe~(2+)存在。将各处理体系过滤所得滤液再次培养,体系Fe~(2+)被逐渐氧化完全,且体系有次生铁矿物(黄铁矾类物质)最终产生。可见,Cl~-对硫铁矿生物氧化行为有一定的调控作用,且体系存在的Fe离子脱离硫铁矿体系,伴随着Fe~(2+)被逐渐全部氧化为Fe~(3+),体系有次生铁矿物大量合成。本研究结果可为明晰酸性矿山废水形成及废水中次生铁矿物合成规律提供一定的参数支撑。     

冶金微生物的铁硫代谢多样性及其与矿物的相互作用

生物冶金是利用微生物铁硫元素代谢活性加速硫化矿物氧化溶解,并对其中有价金属加以提取回收的技术。冶金系统中微生物的代谢多样性及其耦合功能网络,尤其是以铁硫代谢途径为主的功能网络,在硫化矿物加速氧化溶解过程中承担了重要作用,是生物冶金技术理论研究的核心领域。本文归纳了冶金系统中多样化的微生物物种及其铁硫代谢途径,并从微生物代谢耦合角度探讨了微生物代谢多样性与矿物的相互作用。     

嗜酸菌及其应用

自然界大多数环境的pH值为5～9,它适合多数微生物生长。嗜酸菌是一种能在低pH条件下生长和繁殖的极端环境微生物［‘－’］,通常在pHZ～5生长很好,pHS．5以上生长不好。有些嗜酸菌在中性pH条件下根本不生长,如氧化硫硫杆菌（Thiobacillusthiootidans）,酸热硫化叶菌（deghlobusacidocaldarius）,酸热芽抱杆菌O沏ciousacidoca儿brius）等,最佳生长pH是2．0～3．0,这些都是专性嗜酸菌。一些真菌也能在pHS．0或更低条件下生长,实际上是耐酸菌。l嗜酸菌生态分布及其对环境适应机制嗜酸菌生长在酸性环境,这主要与硫或硫化物的存在…     

嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌基因组学研究进展

嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌(Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidan,A.ferrooxidans)广泛存在于酸性矿物废水中,与生物冶金和环境净化紧密相关。不同来源嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌全基因组的测序,为我们利用比较基因组学和功能基因组学的方法去洞察嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌功能基因,提供了坚实的研究基础和丰富的科研信息。简述了嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌基因组学的基本特征;从比较基因组学和功能基因组学发现了嗜酸氧化亚铁硫杆菌菌株基因组水平的差异;通过生物信息学概述了该菌的铁和硫代谢机制,并从细菌的功能基因组学对其在生物冶金与环境治理等应用进行了展望。     

Ecophysiology of algae living in highly acidic environments

Highly acidic environments are inhabited by acidophilic as well as acidotolerant algae. Acidophilic algae are adapted to pH values as low as 0.05 and unable to grow at neutral pH. A prerequisite for thriving at low pH is the reduction of proton influx and an increase in proton pump efficiency. In addition, algae have to cope with a limited supply of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis because of the absence of a bicarbonate pool. Therefore, some algae grow mainly in near terrestrial situations to increase the CO₂-availability or actively move within the water body into areas with high CO₂. Beside these direct effects of acidity, high concentrations of heavy metals and precipitation of nutrients cause indirect effects on the algae in many acidic environments.     

Significance of microbial communities and interactions in safeguarding reactive mine tailings by ecological engineering

Pyritic mine tailings (mineral waste generated by metal mining) pose significant risk to the environment as point sources of acidic, metal-rich effluents (acid mine drainage [AMD]). While the accelerated oxidative dissolution of pyrite and other sulfide minerals in tailings by acidophilic chemolithotrophic prokaryotes has been widely reported, other acidophiles (heterotrophic bacteria that catalyze the dissimilatory reduction of iron and sulfur) can reverse the reactions involved in AMD genesis, and these have been implicated in the "natural attenuation" of mine waters. We have investigated whether by manipulating microbial communities in tailings (inoculating with iron- and sulfur-reducing acidophilic bacteria and phototrophic acidophilic microalgae) it is possible to mitigate the impact of the acid-generating and metal-mobilizing chemolithotrophic prokaryotes that are indigenous to tailing deposits. Sixty tailings mesocosms were set up, using five different microbial inoculation variants, and analyzed at regular intervals for changes in physicochemical and microbiological parameters for up to 1 year. Differences between treatment protocols were most apparent between tailings that had been inoculated with acidophilic algae in addition to aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophic bacteria and those that had been inoculated with only pyrite-oxidizing chemolithotrophs; these differences included higher pH values, lower redox potentials, and smaller concentrations of soluble copper and zinc. The results suggest that empirical ecological engineering of tailing lagoons to promote the growth and activities of iron- and sulfate-reducing bacteria could minimize their risk of AMD production and that the heterotrophic populations could be sustained by facilitating the growth of microalgae to provide continuous inputs of organic carbon.     

Antagonistic activity of soil acidophilic actinomycetes

It has been shown that soil acidophilic actinomycetes (mycelial prokaryotes with a growth optinum between pH 3 and 7) markedly differ from neutrophilic actinomycetes in antimicrobial activity: the former are more active against fungi and yeasts, whereas the latter effectively suppress Gram-positive bacteria. Acidophilic streptomycetes actively inhibit the growth of phytopathogenic fungi, especially on acidic media.     

Microbial Community Composition in Acid Mine Drainage Lake of Xiang Mountain Sulfide Mine in Anhui Province,China

Acid mine drainage (AMD) lake of Xiang Mountain in Anhui Province, China, was characterized by acidic waters (pH around 2.8) containing high concentrations of soluble metals and sulfate. To investigate the function and dynamics of this extreme ecosystem, four water samples were collected from the lake in the fall of 2010. The acidophilic community structure was analyzed by molecular approaches, and bacterial and archaeal clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes were constructed. In contrast to dominance of chemolithotrophic acidophiles in typical AMD environments, autotrophic iron/sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were detected in only one sample with low abundance. Unexpectedly, the Cyanobacteria group was the predominant in all four samples (54.9%?77%). Chemoheterotrophs Acidiphilium and Acidisphaera were also abundant. These two heterotrophic groups contain bacteriochlorophyll that can perform photosynthesis, an advantage to grow and survive in such oligotrophic acidic environments. Only two clone sequences related to Legionella (2.8% of the total clones) were recovered from one sample in sharp contrast to its higher abundance (12.7%) in the summer of 2009. All archaeal sequences were affiliated to the phylum Crenarchaeota. The results of statistical analysis suggested that the water chemistry of the AMD lake controlled microbial composition of the AMD ecosystem.     

Microbial communities and geochemical dynamics in an extremely acidic, metal-rich stream at an abandoned sulfide mine (Huelva, Spain) underpinned by two functional primary production systems

An extremely acidic (pH 2.5-2.75) metal-rich stream draining an abandoned mine in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, Spain, was ramified with stratified macroscopic gelatinous microbial growths ('acid streamers' or 'mats'). Microbial communities of streamer/mat growths sampled at different depths, as well as those present in the stream water itself, were analysed using a combined biomolecular and cultivation-based approach. The oxygen-depleted mine water was dominated by the chemolithotrophic facultative anaerobe Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, while the streamer communities were found to be highly heterogeneous and very different to superficially similar growths reported in other extremely acidic environments. Microalgae accounted for a significant proportion of surface streamer biomass, while subsurface layers were dominated by heterotrophic acidophilic bacteria (Acidobacteriacae and Acidiphilium spp.). Sulfidogenic bacteria were isolated from the lowest depth streamer growths, where there was also evidence for selective biomineralization of copper sulfide. Archaeal clones (exclusively Euryarchaeota) were recovered from streamer samples, as well as the mine stream water. Both sunlight and reduced inorganic chemicals (predominantly ferrous iron) served as energy sources for primary producers in this ecosystem, promoting complex microbial interactions involving transfer of electron donors and acceptors and of organic carbon, between microorganisms in the stream water and the gelatinous streamer growths. Microbial transformations were shown to impact the biogeochemical cycling of iron and sulfur in the acidic stream, severely restricting the net oxidation of ferrous iron even when the initially anoxic waters were oxygenated by indigenous acidophilic algae. A model accounting for the biogeochemistry of iron and sulfur in the mine waters is described, and the significance of the acidophilic communities in regulating the geochemistry of acidic, metal-rich waters is described.     

Acidophilic microbial communities associated with a natural, biodegraded hydrocarbon seepage

Characterization of microbial communities present in a surface petroleum seep in which hydrocarbons have been biodegraded for thousands of years in order to improve the understanding on natural petroleum biodegradation. DNA was extracted from a natural, surface petroleum seep and subjected to culture independent analysis (rRNA gene-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and phylogenetic analysis of clone libraries). Molecular analysis suggested dominance by acidophilic bacteria, especially Alphaproteobacteria (mainly bacteria related to Acidiphilium and Acidocella). Archaea were not detected, but fungi were present. pH of the samples was around 3.5. Acidophilic microbial communities are associated with an acidic petroleum seep. Microbial community structure analysis gives information on the environmental conditions under which petroleum biodegradation occurs. This knowledge could be applied to define conditions for specific cultivation or activity measurements. The activity of acidophilic micro-organisms deserves more attention with respect to their involvement in natural petroleum degradation. This knowledge will contribute to the design of oil bioremediation strategies for polluted acidic settings.     

Cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent characterization of the microbial community in acid mine drainage associated with acidic Pb/Zn mine tailings at Lechang, Guangdong, China

Cultivation-based and molecular approaches were used to characterize the phylogenetic composition and structure of the microbial community in an extremely acidic (pH 2.0) acid mine drainage (AMD) associated with Pb/Zn mine tailings that were undergoing vigorous acid generation. Acidophilic bacteria were isolated and enumerated on solid media, and were found to be restricted to isolates related to Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidiphilium cryptum. By contrast, cloning and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed that, although low in total taxonomically distinct groups, the tailings AMD ecosystem harbored a wide range of phylogenetically diverse microbes. Of the 141 clones examined, 104 were phylogenetically affiliated with the recently discovered, iron-oxidizing Leptospirillum group III within the Nitrospira. It thus appears that iron serves as the major electron donor in this habitat. Thirty clones were affiliated with the Proteobacteria, half of which belonged to organisms related to Alphaproteobacteria species capable of ferric iron reduction. Other clones were grouped with Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria (six clones each), and even with Deltaproteobacteria (three clones), a subdivision with anaerobic sulfate or metal (iron) reduction as the predominant physiological trait of its members. Finally, four clones were clustered within the Firmicutes and the Acidobacteria. Approximately half of the sequence types representing the majority of the total clones fell into lineages that are poorly represented by cultured organisms or have thus far been represented by only a few environmental sequences. Thus, the present study extends our knowledge of the biodiversity of microorganisms populating highly acidic AMD environments.     

Genetics of metal resistance in acidophilic prokaryotes of acidic mine environments

Acidophilic bacteria inhabiting acidic mine regions cause natural leaching of sulphidic ores. They are now exploited in industrial operations for leaching of metals and beneficiation of low-grade and recalcitrant ores. Recent trends emphasize application of thermoacidophiles and genetic engineering of ore-leaching bacteria for greater success in this area. This requires an in-depth understanding on the molecular genetics of these bacteria and construction of cloning vectors for them. Metal resistance is considered as the most suitable phenotypic trait for cloning vectors of bio-mining chemolithoautotrophic (viz. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) and heterotrophic (Acidiphilium and Acidocella species) bacteria of mine environments. These bacteria take part in ore-leaching either directly or indirectly, exhibit low to high level of resistance/tolerance to various metals under different conditions. Majority of these bacteria contain one or more plasmids--the genetic elements that usually carry metal resistant genes. But none of the At. ferrooxidans plasmids has been definitely proved to harbour metal-resistant genes which have mostly been found in the chromosome of this bacterium. Plasmids of acidophilic heterotrophs of the genera Acidiphilium and Acidocella, on the other hand, carry metal resistant genes. While genes bestowing arsenic resistance in Acidiphilium multivorum are similar to those analyzed from other sources, the metal (Cd and Zn)-resistance conferring cloned plasmid DNA fragments from Acidiphilium symbioticum KM2 and Acidocella GS19h strains were found to have no sequence similarity with the reported Cd- and Zn-resistant genes. Such observations indicate some novel aspects of metal resistance in acidophilic bacteria.     

云南酸性土壤中度嗜酸链霉菌的多样性

[目的]了解酸性土壤环境里中度嗜酸链霉菌的多样性,调查其物种资源.[方法]用分散和差速离心法及选择性分离培养基从14份云南酸性土壤样品中分离到367株具有链霉菌培养特征的放线菌,并进行了颜色分群.从各颜色类群中选取代表菌株共97株,通过显微形态观察和pH梯度生长实验确定其中的中度嗜酸链霉菌.进一步从中筛选出16株中度嗜酸链霉菌代表菌株,进行16SrRNA基因序列的相似性和系统发育分析,并结合基因组DNA-DNA相关性数据.[结果]分离菌株归为12同的颜色类群,其中80%属于中度嗜酸链霉菌,其代表菌株在系统发育树上形成了8个距离较远且与已知种不同的进化分枝,可能代表链霉菌属内至少8个不同的新基因种.[结论]用以上方法筛选出的中度嗜酸链霉菌可归为8个不同于已知种的进化群,说明云南酸性土壤含有丰富多样的中度嗜酸链霉菌新物种.     

Acidophilic Green Alga Pseudochlorella sp. YKT1 Accumulates High Amount of Lipid Droplets under a Nitrogen-Depleted Condition at a Low-pH

Microalgal storage lipids are considered to be a promising source for next-generation biofuel feedstock. However, microalgal biodiesel is not yet economically feasible due to the high cost of production. One of the reasons for this is that the use of a low-cost open pond system is currently limited because of the unavoidable contamination with undesirable organisms. Extremophiles have an advantage in culturing in an open pond system because they grow in extreme environments toxic to other organisms. In this study, we isolated the acidophilic green alga Pseudochlorella sp. YKT1 from sulfuric acid mine drainage in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The vegetative cells of YKT1 display the morphological characteristics of Trebouxiophyceae and molecular phylogenetic analyses indicated it to be most closely related to Pseudochlorella pringsheimii. The optimal pH and temperature for the growth of YKT1 are pH 3.0–5.0 and a temperature 20–25°C, respectively. Further, YKT1 is able to grow at pH 2.0 and at 32°C, which corresponds to the usual water temperature in the outdoors in summer in many countries. YKT1 accumulates a large amount of storage lipids (∼30% of dry weigh) under a nitrogen-depleted condition at low-pH (pH 3.0). These results show that acidophilic green algae will be useful for industrial applications by acidic open culture systems.