An ultrastructural study of iron and manganese deposition associated with extracellular polymers of pedomicrobium-like budding bacteria

Morphological characteristics of two Pedomicrobium-like budding bacteria are described. A structured surface layer was regularly observed on strain 868. Ruthenium red- and Alcian blue-staining polymers were found on both strains.When either strain was grown in the presence of iron or manganese, the corresponding oxides accumulated on their surfaces. In thin sections iron oxides appeared as fine threads, arrays of particles or dense coatings, depending on the source of iron. Manganese oxides appeared as branching filaments or convoluted ribbons. Both metal oxides stained with ruthenium red. Extraction of the oxides followed by ruthenium red staining revealed that polyanionic polymers previously deposited on the cells were associated with the metals.Treatment of cultures with glutaraldehyde, HgCl₂, or heat, inhibited manganese but not iron deposition, suggesting that iron oxides accumulated by passive, non-biological processes. Manganese oxides apparently accumulated under control of a biological manganese-oxidizing factor. Incomplete inhibition of manganese deposition observed in cell suspensions suggested that, if the oxidizing factor was an enzyme, it was unusually stable.Based on these results, possible mechanisms of iron and manganese deposition in association with extracellular polymers are suggested.     

Indicators of Microbial Sulfate Reduction in Acidic Sulfide-Rich Mine Tailings

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are thought to be actively involved in the cycling of sulfur in acidic mine tailings. However, most studies have used circumstantial evidence to assess microbial sulfate activity in such environments. In order to fully ascertain the role of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in sulfur cycling in acidic mine tailings, we measured sulfate reduction rates, sulfur isotopic composition of reduced sulfide fractions, porewaters and solid-phase geochemistry and SRB populations in four different Cu-Zn tailings located in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. The tailings were sampled in the summer and in the spring, shortly after snowmelt. The results first indicate that all four sites showed very high sulfate reduction rates in the summer (～100–1000 nmol cm^{? 3}d^?1), which corresponded to the presence of sulfide in the porewaters and to high SRB populations. In some of the sites, zones of microbial sulfate reduction also corresponded to a decline of organic carbon and to an apparent pyrite (with slightly negative δ³⁴S values) enrichment around the same depth. Microbial sulfate reduction was also important in permanently acidic (pH 2–3) mine tailings sites, suggesting that SRB can be active under very acidic conditions. Secondly, the results showed that microbial sulfate reduction was greatly reduced in the spring, suggesting that temperature might be a key factor in the activity of SRB. However, a closer look at the results indicated that temperature was not the sole factor and that acidic conditions and limited substrate availability in the spring appeared to be important as well in limiting microbial sulfate par reduction in sulfidic mine tailings. Finally, the results indicate that sulfur undergoes rapid cycling throughout the year and that microbial sulfate reduction and metal sulfide precipitation do not appear to be a permanent sink for metals.     

Change in microbial communities in acetate- and glucose-fed microbial fuel cells in the presence of light

Power densities produced by microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in natural systems are changed by exposure to light through the enrichment of photosynthetic microorganisms. When MFCs with brush anodes were exposed to light (4000 lx), power densities increased by 8–10% for glucose-fed reactors, and 34% for acetate-fed reactors. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that exposure to high light levels changed the microbial communities on the anodes. Based on 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of light-exposed systems the anode communities using glucose were also significantly different than those fed acetate. Dominant bacteria that are known exoelectrogens were identified in the anode biofilm, including a purple nonsulfur (PNS) photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, and a dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium, Geobacter sulfurreducens. Pure culture tests confirmed that PNS photosynthetic bacteria increased power production when exposed to high light intensities (4000 lx). These results demonstrate that power production and community composition are affected by light conditions as well as electron donors in single-chamber air-cathode MFCs.     

Insights into discharge argon-mediated biofilm inactivation

Formation of bacterial biofilms at solid–liquid interfaces creates numerous problems in biomedical sciences. Conventional sterilization and decontamination methods are not suitable for new and more sophisticated biomaterials. In this paper, the efficiency and effectiveness of gas discharges in the inactivation and removal of biofilms on biomaterials were studied. It was found that although discharge oxygen, nitrogen and argon all demonstrated excellent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity, gases with distinct chemical/physical properties underwent different mechanisms of action. Discharge oxygen- and nitrogen-mediated decontamination was associated with strong etching effects, which can cause live bacteria to relocate thus spreading contamination. On the contrary, although discharge argon at low powers maintained excellent antibacterial ability, it had negligible etching effects. Based on these results, an effective decontamination approach using discharge argon was established in which bacteria and biofilms were killed in situ and then removed from the contaminated biomaterials. This novel procedure is applicable for a wide range of biomaterials and biomedical devices in an in vivo and clinical setting.     

Enhancement in the viability and biosensing activity of freeze-dried recombinant bioluminescent bacteria

The genetically-engineeredEscherichia coli strain, DPD2540, which contains afabA::luxCDABE fusion gene, gives a bioluminescent output when membrane fatty acid synthesis is needed. For more practical application of this strain in the field as biosensor, freeze-drying was adopted. A 12% sucrose solution with Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, as determined by the viability after freeze-drying, was found to be the most effective composition for lyophilization solution among various compositions tested. Rapid freezing with liquid nitrogen also gave the best viability after freeze-drying as compared to samples frozen at −70°C and −20°C. The biosensing activities of the cells showed a greater sensitivity when the cells from the exponential phase were freeze-dried. Finally, the optimum temperature for use of the freeze-dried cells in the biosensor field was determined.     

Fundamentals and Application Potential of Arsenic-Resistant Bacteria for Bioremediation in Rhizosphere: A Review

As a hazardous environmental metalloid toxicant, arsenic (As)—at elevated levels in water and soil—has created a major public health concern through its entry into the food chain by accumulation in crops. Among the various methods reported thus far for reclamation of As-contaminated crop fields, bioremediation using bacteria with plant-growth-promoting traits has been found to be a most promising solution. There is every possibility that bacterial isolates with the ability to remove or immobilize As could be used for successful bioremediation. However, bioremediation needs to define its boundaries between promise and field application, as most studies have been restricted to laboratory results only. Rhizosphere interactions play a critical role in monitoring As bioavailability to crop plants, thus a better understanding of it might improve rhizoremediation technologies. The challenges rely on the application of these novel approaches under field conditions. Despite some limitations, the prospect for successful stimulation and exploitation of microbial metabolism for As rhizoremediation appears to be very promising.     

Mass transfer limitation of sulfate in methanogenic aggregates

The role of mass transfer limitation of sulfate as a factor governing the competition between sulfate reducing and methane producing bacteria in methanogenic aggregates was theoretically evaluated by the calculation of steady-state sulfate microprofiles using a reference set of parameters obtained from the literature. The shooting method was used as a numerical technique for solving the mathematical model. The effect of the parameters on mass transport limitation was tested by varying each reference value of the parameters with a factor of 3. Sulfate limitation within granules prevailed at moderate (0.1 kg m(-3)) and low sulfate concentrations in the bulk liquid, at high maximum sulfate utilization rates (3.73 x 10(-5) kg SO(4) (2-) kg(-1) VSS S(-1) or biomass concentrations (40 KG VSS m(-3)), and in large aggregates (radius of 7.5 10(-4) m). The effective diffusion coefficient of sulfate and the affinity constant were less determinative for the penetration depth of sulfate within a granule. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

南通沿海滩涂耐盐植物重金属抗性内生细菌的筛选及生物多样性

【目的】沿海滩涂耐盐植物重金属抗性内生细菌的筛选及其促生长潜在能力的研究有助于我们获得一些能够耐受并促进耐盐植物在被Cd2+、Pb2+、Hg2+、Cu2+,Zn2+等重金属离子污染的贫瘠的沿海滩涂上正常生长的菌株,达到既能够利用广袤的滩涂生物资源产生经济价值又能够净化生态环境的目的。【方法】以江苏南通沿海滩涂地区的4种耐盐植物为材料,采用稀释平板涂布法从中分离得到45株内生细菌,从中挑取23株代表性的菌株,对其进行抗重金属Cu2+、Pb2+、Cd2+、Zn2+,Hg2+的活性筛选;固氮、解磷、吲哚乙酸(IAA)的产生、1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸(ACC)脱氨酶活性等促生指标以及NaCl耐受能力的筛选。【结果】发现分离所得的大多数细菌能够耐受高浓度的Cu2+以及Pb2+,但是对Cd2+、Zn2+,Hg2+的耐受能力则较弱;26.1%的细菌具有固氮能力,21.7%的细菌具有解磷能力,60.9%的细菌能够产生IAA,39.1%的细菌含有ACC脱氨酶。对他们进行16S rRNA基因鉴定后发现,他们分属于芽胞杆菌属(Bacillus)、喜盐芽胞杆菌属(Halobacillus)、海洋芽胞杆菌属(Oceanobacillus)、微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium)、沙雷氏菌属(Serratia)、短波单胞菌属(Brevundimonas)、弧菌属(Vibrio)、葡萄球菌属(Staphylococcus)共8个属,显示了丰富的多样性。其中菌株KLBMP 2432以及菌株KLBMP 2447为潜在的新种。【结论】沿海滩涂地区的耐盐植物内生细菌具有丰富多样的生物多样性以及促生长能力,且存在潜在的新种资源,并对重金属Cu2+,Pb2+具有较强的抗性。