Bacillus subterraneus sp. nov., an iron- and manganese-reducing bacterium from a deep subsurface Australian thermal aquifer

Abstract

A facultatively anaerobic bacterium, designated strain COOI3B(T) (= ATCC BAA 136T = DSM 13966T), was isolated from the waters emitted by a bore well tapping the deep subterranean thermal waters of the Great Artesian Basin of Australia. The cells were straight to slightly curved rods (0.5-0.8 x 2-25 microm) that occurred singly and rarely in pairs or in chains. Strain COOI3B(T) was motile by peritrichous flagella. It stained gram-negative, but electron micrographs showed a gram-positive-type cell wall. Spores were never observed and cells were heat-sensitive. Yeast extract at 0.02% (w/v) was required for growth and could also be used as a sole carbon and energy source at concentrations higher than 0.1% (w/v). The strain utilized amorphous iron(III), manganese(IV), nitrate, nitrite and fumarate as electron acceptors in the presence of yeast extract, glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, xylose, starch, glycerol, ethanol or lactate. Electron acceptors were not obligately required and growth was better in the presence of nitrate than in its absence. Acid was not produced from growth on carbohydrates. Tryptophan deaminase, H2S, arginine dihydrolase, lysine decarboxylase, beta-galactosidase, arabinosidase, glucuronidase, glucosaminidase, nitroanilidase, xylosidase and ornithine decarboxylase were not produced. Starch and gelatin, but not casein, were hydrolysed. Aesculin and catalase, but not oxidase and urease, were produced. Strain COOI3B(T) grew optimally at temperatures between 37 and 40 degrees C (the temperature growth range was 25-45 degrees C) and at pH 7.0-9.0 (the pH growth range was 6.0 to 9.5) with 5% (w/v) NaCl (the NaCl concentration growth range was 0.9%, w/v). The DNA base composition was 43 +/- 1 mol % G+C. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that it was a member of the family Bacillaceae, Bacillus infernus and Bacillus firmus being the closest phylogenetic neighbours (having a mean similarity value of 96%); hence, strain COOI3B(T) is designated as a novel species, Bacillus subterraneus sp. nov.

Influence of Microbially Reducible Fe(III) on the Bacterial Community Structure of Estuarine Surface Sediments

“…While Shewanella remained a prominent component of the community, other genera potentially involved in Fe(III) reduction became numerically important including phylotypes related to Bacillus and Deferribacteres (Boone et al 1995;Caccavo et al 1996;Switzer-Blum et al 1998;Kanso et al 2002). Likewise, the number of Pseudomonas clones increased substantially.…”

Microbial Growth under Supercritical CO 2

“…S6 in the supplemental material), although whether oxidation state changes occur via fermentation or respiration has not been established in this study. We note that several close phylogenetic relatives of strain MITOT1 are anaerobic metal reducers capable of Fe(III), Mn(IV), Se(VI), and As(V) respiration (46,47,54).…”

“…While some populations of Bacillus are well established as members of subsurface biospheres (46,47), others may be introduced to the subsurface through drilling activities. Although sampling methods for Frio-2 formation water and Otway cores were designed to reduce the possibility of drilling fluid contamination through use of a U-tube sampling device (33) or fluorescein drilling fluid penetration data, respectively, drilling activities remain a potential source for some of the strains recovered in this study.…”

Dissimilatory Arsenate Reduction and In Situ Microbial Activities and Diversity in Arsenic-rich Groundwater of Chianan Plain, Southwestern Taiwan

“…1), to which As can be adsorbed, were predicted from the groundwater. In addition, some genera (Acinetobacter and Bacillus) that can achieve dissimilatory Mn(IV)-and Fe(III)-reduction [35][36][37][38][39][40] were dominated in the groundwater (Fig. 5).…”