铁还原菌在水资源再生与能源转化领域的研究进展

铁还原菌是一种典型的异化金属还原菌,广泛分布于海洋沉积物、陆地深地层等自然环境,该类细菌可以将铁氧化物中的Fe(Ⅲ)还原为Fe(Ⅱ),在铁、碳的生物地球化学铁循环中发挥重要作用。铁还原菌的末端电子不局限于Fe(Ⅲ),还可以是其他高价金属、有机污染物,可用于土壤、地下水的污染修复和毒性削减。在微生物电化学系统中,铁还原菌氧化有机物产生的电子直接传递给电极,可以产生电能。基于这种独特的胞外电子传递方式,衍生出了微生物燃料电池、微生物电解池、微生物脱盐电池、微生物燃料电池耦合芬顿反应以及光催化微生物燃料电池,常用于微生物发电、生物传感器、生物制氢、定向发酵、海水淡化、生物脱盐和污染物分解矿化。本文从异化铁还原菌的代谢机制、微生态作用、环境修复、水资源再生与能源转化四个方面,综述了铁还原菌的作用原理及国内外研究现状,分析论述了目前亟需解决的关键问题和未来的研究方向,以期为铁还原菌的基础理论研究和应用技术研发提供参考。     

水稻土中铁还原菌多样性

微生物介导的异化Fe(III) 还原是非硫厌氧环境中Fe(III) 还原生成Fe(II) 的主要途径,然而相关的铁还原菌还不是很清楚,特别是在水稻土中.本文采用富集培养的方法,以乙酸和氢气作为电子供体,水铁矿和针铁矿作为电子受体,通过末端限制性片段长度多态性（T-RFLP）技术和16S rRNA基因克隆测序相结合的分子生物学方法研究了水稻土中铁还原菌的多样性.结果表明：无论是以乙酸或氢气为电子供体,水铁矿或针铁矿为电子受体,地杆菌（Geobacter）和梭菌（Clostridiales）是富集到的主要微生物群落;乙酸为电子供体时,富集到的主要微生物群落还包括红环菌（Rhodocyclaceae）;因此,除地杆菌外,梭菌和红环菌很可能也是水稻土中重要的铁还原菌.     

水稻土中铁还原菌多样性

微生物介导的异化Fe(III) 还原是非硫厌氧环境中Fe(III) 还原生成Fe(II) 的主要途径,然而相关的铁还原菌还不是很清楚,特别是在水稻土中.本文采用富集培养的方法,以乙酸和氢气作为电子供体,水铁矿和针铁矿作为电子受体,通过末端限制性片段长度多态性（T-RFLP）技术和16S rRNA基因克隆测序相结合的分子生物学方法研究了水稻土中铁还原菌的多样性.结果表明：无论是以乙酸或氢气为电子供体,水铁矿或针铁矿为电子受体,地杆菌（Geobacter）和梭菌（Clostridiales）是富集到的主要微生物群落;乙酸为电子供体时,富集到的主要微生物群落还包括红环菌（Rhodocyclaceae）;因此,除地杆菌外,梭菌和红环菌很可能也是水稻土中重要的铁还原菌.     

南大西洋中脊热液区异化铁还原微生物及其矿化产物分析

【目的】从深海热液区获取异化铁还原微生物(Dissimilatory iron reducing microorganisms,DIRM),分析其矿化速率和矿化产物,认识其参与的深海生物地球化学循环。【方法】以羟基氧化铁(FeOOH)为电子受体,以乙酸等简单有机物做电子供体,在60°C恒温厌氧条件下,对南大西洋中脊深海热液区硫化物样品中的DIRM进行富集、培养;采用扫描电镜(SEM)和透射电镜(TEM)、选区电子衍射(SAED)以及能谱仪(EDS)等方法对矿化产物进行形貌观察与成分分析。【结果】从2个硫化物样品中,共获得了139个铁还原培养物,它们均能将培养基中FeOOH (Fe3+90 mmol/L)转化为矿化产物。电镜下可见明显的晶体形态,以立方体形晶体为主,边长为5.0–20.0 nm;EDS分析表明,所有矿物晶体的主要元素为铁和氧,推测是由菱铁矿和磁铁矿组成的混合矿物。矿物晶体形成的时间差异较大,从3d到54d不等,多数培养物可在11 d到20 d内形成晶体。微生物多样性表明,培养物中优势菌主要为厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)和广古菌门(Euryarchaeota),包括一氧化碳胞菌(Carboxydocella)与脱硫肠状菌(Desulfotomaculum)近似新物种(16SrRNA基因同源性89%–91%)和广古菌地丸菌(Geoglobus)。【结论】热液区高温厌氧细菌与古菌可以利用简单有机物为电子供体进行铁还原,形成铁氧化物晶体。实验结果对于微生物参与铁元素的生物地球化学循环与矿物形成的潜力具有支持作用。然而它们是否参与了热液区铁元素的生物地球化学循环与矿物形成还需要大量研究工作验证。     

一株嗜水气单胞菌HS01的偶氮还原脱色特性

[目的]研究嗜水气单胞菌HS01的偶氮染料还原脱色特性.[方法]建立HS01/偶氮染料/电子供体序批式厌氧反应体系,研究Fe(Ⅲ)/腐殖质还原菌HS01以偶氮染料为电子受体的厌氧呼吸特性及影响因素;并构建HS01/偶氮染料/电子供体/铁氧化物体系,探讨铁氧化物对HS01偶氮还原的影响.[结果]HS01可将金橙Ⅰ迅速还原,菌体增殖;柠檬酸、丙三醇、蔗糖和葡萄糖体系中,16h金橙Ⅰ的脱色率分别达87％、85％、88％、90％;不同pH和金橙Ⅰ初始浓度条件下的脱色率不同;在反应体系中加入α-FeOOH,脱色率从90％增加至95％,Fe(Ⅱ)生成量与无染料对照体系相当.[结论]HS01能以葡萄糖为电子供体,金橙Ⅰ为唯一电子受体,进行厌氧呼吸;蔗糖、柠檬酸、丙三醇也可作为有效的电子供体,脱色率依次递减;甲酸、乙酸、乳酸、乙醇及丙酸不能作为HS01厌氧呼吸的电子供体.金橙Ⅰ脱色的最佳pH范围为6.0-8.0;高浓度(2.0 mmol/L)金橙Ⅰ负荷下,HS01仍保持高脱色率(＞85％).在HS01/α-FeOOH/金橙Ⅰ体系中,异化铁还原作用与偶氮呼吸作用同时发生,异化铁还原能促进偶氮脱色,而脱色对Fe(Ⅲ)还原没有明显影响.这可为铁/腐殖质还原菌在环境修复和废水处理等领域的应用提供研究积累.     

Fe(III)的微生物异化还原*

异化Fe(III)还原微生物是厌氧环境中广泛存在的一类主要微生物类群,它们的共同特片是可以利用Fe(III)作为末端电子受体而获能。异化Fe(III)还原微生物具有强大的代谢功能;可还原许多有毒重金属包括一些放射性核素,还可降解利用许多有机污染物,在污酒女环境的生物修复中具有重要的应用价值。本文对异化Fe(III)还原微生物的分布、分类、代谢功能多样性以及异化Fe(III)还原的意义做了评述,旨在加强相关领域的研究人同对此的了解和重视,通过学科和交叉和合作加快我国在这一领域的研究。     

微生物铁呼吸机制研究进展

铁呼吸是厌氧环境中普遍存在的一种微生物代谢形式,多种古生菌和细菌都能进行铁呼吸.Fe(Ⅲ)的地球化学丰度比较高,为Fe(Ⅲ)还原菌提供了充足的电子受体,但自然中Fe(Ⅲ)多以不溶形式存在,使电子传递受阻.本文介绍了Fe(Ⅲ)还原菌的多样性,总结了4种铁呼吸机制:直接接触机制、螯合促溶机制、电子穿梭机制、纳米导线辅助机制,并对铁呼吸机制未来的研究方向进行了展望.     

Fe(III)的微生物异化还原

异化Fe(III)还原微生物是厌氧环境中广泛存在的一类主要微生物类群,它们的共同特征是可以利用Fe(III)作为末端电子受体而获能。异化Fe(III)还原微生物具有强大的代谢功能,可还原许多有毒重金属包括一些放射性核素,还可降解利用许多有机污染物,在污染环境的生物修复中具有重要的应用价值。本文对异化Fe(III)还原微生物的分布、分类,代谢功能多样性以及异化Fe(III)还原的意义做了评述,旨在加强相关领域的研究人员对此的了解和重视,通过学科的交叉和合作加快我国在这一领域的研究。     

异化Fe(Ⅲ)还原微生物研究进展

铁是地壳中含量第四丰富的元素,微生物介导的异化铁还原是自然界中Fe(Ⅲ)还原的主要途径。介绍了Fe(Ⅲ)还原菌的分类及多样性,总结了Fe(Ⅲ)还原菌还原铁氧化物机制及其产能代谢机制,概述了Fe(Ⅲ)还原菌的生态环境意义,并对未来Fe(Ⅲ)还原菌的分子生态学研究方向提出了探索性的建议。     

零价铁对2,4-二氯酚生物还原脱氯的影响研究

采用间歇试验, 接种驯化两月的厌氧混合微生物, 考察厌氧体系中添加零价铁(Fe0)对2,4-二氯酚(2,4-DCP)生物还原脱氯效果的影响, 并对影响“Fe0+微生物”体系的一些因素进行了探索。结果显示：与零价铁或微生物的单独作用相比, “Fe0+微生物”体系能够有效促进2,4-DCP的脱氯反应, 最佳Fe0投加量和微生物接种量分别为0.5 g/L和376.2 mgVSS/L; 初始pH = 8.0对2,4-DCP的转化效果最好, 偏酸性环境不利于污染物转化; 微生物接种量与铁用量之间有一适宜比例, 一定范围内增加微生物接种量可催生出更多可降解污染物的酶或酶系, 提高2,4-DCP的降解效果。     

Research of Iron Reduction and the Iron Reductase Localization of Anammox Bacteria

The iron-reducing capability of anammox bacteria was examined in this study using Percoll purified anammox bacteria. Anammox bacteria could reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II) with organic matters as the electron donor. The activity of anammox iron-reducing process was dependent on different electron donor, acceptor and pH. The highest iron-reducing activity of anammox bacteria was achieved with Fe(III)-NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid) as electron acceptor and formate as the electron donor at pH7. Similar to other iron reducers, 80 % of the iron reductase in anammox bacteria was located in the membrane fraction. Due to the chemical oxidant of NO₂ ^? and the NO₃ ^? dependent ferrous iron oxidation by anammox bacteria, the iron-reducing activity of anammox bacteria could be severely inhibited when iron-reducing pathway and the anammox process were coupled. However, the total nitrogen removal efficiency was not significantly affected in the presence of Fe(III). The iron-reducing capability of anammox bacteria could influence both N and Fe cycle on earth, and it is a potential way for wastewater treatment.     

Microbial Communities Involved in Fe Reduction and Mobility During Soil Organic Matter (SOM) Mineralization in Two Contrasted Paddy Soils

Lowland rice fields of West Africa (Ivory Coast) and South Asia (Thailand) are affected by ferrous toxicity or salinity, respectively, and their soil waters contain large amounts of ferrous iron, depending on reducing irrigation condition and suggesting occurrence of bacterial reducing processes. To determine the involvement, dynamic and activities of bacterial communities in Fe(III) reduction and mobilization during anaerobic degradation and mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM), different experiments and analyses have been performed. Results demonstrated that the utilization of SOM as sole carbon, nutrient and energy sources favored the presence of large bacterial communities: facultative anaerobic and anaerobic bacteria, Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (FeRB) (fermentative and Fe respiring), sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) which are involved in carbon, nitrogen, iron and sulfur cycling. The larger functional diversity is observed in the Ivory Coast paddy soils containing larger amounts of organic matter and sulfur compounds. These communities contained complementary populations (chemoorganotrophic, chemolitotrophic, aerobic, facultative anaerobic and anaerobic) that can be active at different steps of iron solubilization with simultaneous organic matter mineralization. Our results indicate that the pH controlled by bacterial activity, the nature much more than the content of organic matter, and consequently the structure and activity of bacterial communities influence significantly the availability and dynamic of iron in paddy fields which affect the soil quality.     

Seasonal variation of phenol/benzoate-degrading iron-reducing bacteria in irrigated tropical paddy soils as affected by some management practices

The study provides the first evidence of the presence and abundance of bacterial population that coupled ferric iron reduction to aromatic compounds degradation in tropical irrigated paddy soils in the Philippines. Culturable phenol/benzoate degrading iron-reducing bacteria was enumerated by the most probable number (MPN) counts using phenol or benzoate as sole carbon source, and ferric oxide [Fe(OH)(3)] as the sole electron acceptor. Population density of phenol degrading iron-reducing bacteria (P-IRB) in irrigated paddy soil ranged from 10(2) to 10(8)g(-1) dry soil, and increased with the progressive rice growth in rice cropping seasons; the study also revealed a significant rhizosphere effect on population of P-IRB. However, high enumeration of benzoate degrading iron-reducing bacteria (B-IRB) was obtained in all the tested soil samples averaging at 1.2 x 10(6)g(-1) dry soil, and did not fluctuate significantly over the rice cropping seasons. Statistical data showed that less cropping density with aerated fallow and high nitrogen rate favored the population growth of P-IRB. However, results showed that population size of B-IRB was relatively insensitive to the effect of either seasonal or extrinsic factors tested in this study.     

Enrichment of dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacteria from groundwater of the Siklós BTEX-contaminated site (Hungary)

Dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria are commonly found in microbial communities of aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated subsurface environments where they often play key role in the degradation of the contaminants. The Siklós benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)-contaminated area is one of the best characterized petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated sites of Hungary. Continuous monitoring of the microbial community in the center of the contaminant plume indicated the presence of an emerging Geobacter population and a Rhodoferax phylotype highly associated with aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated subsurface environments. The aim of the present study was to make an initial effort to enrich Rhodoferax-related and other dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria from this environment. Accordingly, four slightly different freshwater media were used to enrich Fe(III) reducers, differing only in the form of nitrogen source (organic, inorganic nitrogen or gaseous headspace nitrogen). Although enrichment of the desired Rhodoferax phylotype was not succeeded, Geobacter-related bacteria were readily enriched. Moreover, the different nitrogen sources caused the enrichment of different Geobacter species. Investigation of the diversity of benzylsuccinate synthase gene both in the enrichments and in the initial groundwater sample indicated that the Geobacter population in the center of the contaminant plume may not play a significant role in the anaerobic degradation of toluene.     

Direct Fe(III) Reduction from Synthetic Ferrihydrite by Haloalkaliphilic Lithotrophic Sulfidogens

Ability to reduce insoluble Fe(III) compounds has not been shown for alkaliphilic lithotrophic sulfate and sulfur reducers. Detection of this metabolic process in sulfidogenic prokaryotes could significantly expand the present knowledge on physicochemical range of their growth and physiological activity, which is now limited by low negative ambient redox potential. Capacity for direct reduction of Fe(III) from chemically synthesized ferrihydrite was tested for eight species of hydrogenotrophic haloalkaliphilic sulfidogens grown with formate or H2 as electron donors in the absence of sulfur compounds in the medium. Out of eight tested species, six reduced iron with formate and five, with hydrogen as the electron donor. Iron reduction correlated with stimulation of growth on formate or hydrogen only in two sulfidogenic species. Analysis of available genomes of five tested species revealed that only Dethiobacter alkaliphilus and Desulfuribacillus alkaliarsenatis possess the gene sets of multiheme cytochromes c required for typical dissimilatory iron reduction. The presence of these genes in two strains with high iron-reducing activity indicates the capacity of some haloalkaliphilic sulfidogenic bacteria for carrying out direct dissimilatory reduction of insoluble Fe(III) forms in the absence of sulfur-containing electron acceptors, i.e., without using sulfide as a soluble mediator of iron reduction. In other studied microorganisms, the ability to reduce iron is probably caused by nonspecific metabolic activity and is not directly linked to energy generation for growth, although the rates of Fe(III) reduction determined in our experiments make it possible to suggest significant role of sulfidogenic microorganisms (normally reducing sulfur and sulfate) in the iron cycle in haloalkaline ecosystems upon decreased content of sulfur compounds.     

Evaluation of electron-shuttling compounds in microbial ferric iron reduction

Iron-reducing bacteria can transfer electrons to ferric iron oxides which are barely soluble at neutral pH, and electron-shuttling compounds or chelators are discussed to be involved in this process. Experiments using semipermeable membranes for separation of ferric iron-reducing bacteria from ferric iron oxides do not provide conclusive results in this respect. Here, we used ferrihydrite embedded in 1% agar to check for electron-shuttling compounds in pure and in enrichment cultures. Geobacter sulfurreducens reduced spatially distant ferrihydrite only in the presence of anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate, a small molecule known to shuttle electrons between the bacterial cell and ferrihydrite. However, indications for the production and excretion of electron-shuttling compounds or chelators were found in ferrihydrite-containing agar dilution cultures that were inoculated with ferric iron-reducing enrichment cultures.     

Synergistic iron reduction and citrate dissimilation by Shewanella alga and Aeromonas veronii

Two bacterial isolates from Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, in co-culture carried out anaerobic dissimilation of citric acid with Fe(III) as the terminal electron acceptor. Neither isolate oxidized citrate with Fe(III) anaerobically in axenic culture. The Fe(III) reducer, Shewanella alga strain BrY, did not grow anaerobically with citrate as an energy source. The citrate utilizer, Aeromonas veronii, did not reduce iron axenically with a variety of electron donors including citrate. The onset of iron reduction by the co-culture occurred after initiation of citrate dissimilation and just prior to initiation of growth by either organism (as measured by viable plate counts). Anaerobic culture growth rates and final cell densities of each bacterial strain were greater in co-culture than in axenic cultures. By 48 h of growth, the co-culture had consumed 27 mM citrate as compared with 12 mM dissimilated by the axenic culture of A. veronii. By 48 h the co-culture produced half as much formate (6 mM) and twice as much acetate (40 mM) as did A. veronii grown axenically (12 mM and 20 mM, respectively). Formate produced from citrate by A. veronii appeared to have supported growth and Fe(III) reduction by S. alga.Although not obligatory, nutrient coupling between these two organisms illustrates that fermentative (A. veronii-type) organisms can convert organic compounds such as citrate to those used as substrates by dissimilatory Fe(III) reducers, including S. alga. This synergism broadens the range of substrates available for iron reduction, stimulates the extent and rate of organic electron donor degradation (and that of iron reduction) and enhances the growth of each participant. Received: 11 December 1995 / Accepted: 19 June 1996     

Abundance and phylogenetic affiliation of iron reducers in activated sludge as assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and microautoradiography

Microautoradiography (MAR) was used to enumerate acetate-consuming bacteria under Fe(III)-reducing conditions in activated sludge. This population is believed to consist of dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria, because the applied incubation conditions and the use of specific inhibitors excluded consumption of radiolabeled acetate by other physiological groups such as sulfate reducers. By use of this approach, dissimilatory iron reducers were found in a concentration of 1.1 x 10(8) cells per ml, corresponding to approximately 3% of the total cell count as determined by DAPI (4',6'-diamino-2-phenylindoledihydrochloride-dilactate) staining. The MAR enumeration method was compared to the traditional most-probable-number (MPN) method (FeOOH-MPN) and a modified MPN method, which contains Ferrozine directly within the MPN dilutions to determine the production of small amounts of ferrous iron (Ferrozine-MPN). The Ferrozine-MPN method yielded values 6 to 10 times higher than those obtained by the FeOOH-MPN method. Nevertheless, the MAR approach yielded counts that were 100 to 1,000 times higher than those obtained by the Ferrozine-MPN method. Specific in situ Fe(III) reduction rates per cell (enumerated by the MAR method) were calculated and found to be comparable to the respective rates for pure cultures of dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria, suggesting that the new MAR method is most reliable. A combination of MAR and fluorescence in situ hybridization was used for phylogenetic characterization of the putative iron-reducing bacteria. All activated-sludge cells able to consume acetate under iron-reducing conditions were targeted by the bacterial oligonucleotide probe EUB338. Around 20% were identified as gamma Proteobacteria, and 10% were assigned to the delta subclass of Proteobacteria.     

Effect of fertilization on exudation,dehydrogenase activity,iron-reducing populations and Fe++ formation in the rhizosphere of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in relation to iron toxicity

Summary To explain the mechanism of iron toxicity, greenhouse and growth chamber (¹⁴CO₂ atmosphere) experiments were carried out. In pot experiments (with a typical iron-toxic soil and a fertile clay) we studied the effect of N, P, K and Ca+Mg fertilization (alone or in combination) on dehydrogenase activity, Fe⁺⁺ formation, and the populations of iron-reducing bacteria in the rhizosphere of rice IR22 and IR42. Fe uptake by the plants was measured at regular intervals. Dehydrogenase activity, the number of N₂-fixing iron-reducing bacteria, and the formation and uptake of Fe⁺⁺ decreased with increased supply of K, Ca, and Mg. This effect was clearer with IR22 (susceptible to iron toxicity) than with IR42 (releatively tolerant). Increased exudation and Fe uptake by IR36 at low nutrient and high Fe supply were recorded in a growth chamber experiment. Nutritional conditions, exudation rate (a measure of metabolic root leakage), the iron-reducing activity of the rhizosphere, and Fe⁺⁺ uptake by wetland rice appear to be clearly related. Iron toxicity is considered a physiological disorder caused by multiple nutritional soil stress rather than by a low pH and high Fe supply per sé.