Elemental Sulfur Oxidation in &lt;i&gt;Acidiphilium&lt;/i&gt; spp.

Rohwerder, Thore; Janosch, Claudia; Sand, Wolfgang

doi:10.4028/0-87849-452-9.583

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Acidiphilium is capable of Fe 2+ reduction, and some Acidiphilium spp. also carry out sulfur oxidation [ 65 , 66 ]. Except for A. acidophilum , which is capable of autotrophic growth [ 67 ], Acidiphilium species are obligate heterotrophs and play an important role in the removal of organic compounds such as organic acids that are toxic to autotrophic microorganisms like Leptospirillum [ 22 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosulfidogenesis Mediates Natural Attenuation in Acidic Mine Pit Lakes

et al. 2020

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Acidic pit lakes are abandoned open pit mines filled with acid mine drainage (AMD)—highly acidic, metalliferous waters that pose a severe threat to the environment and are rarely properly remediated. Here, we investigated two meromictic, oligotrophic acidic mine pit lakes in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), Filón Centro (Tharsis) (FC) and La Zarza (LZ). We observed a natural attenuation of acidity and toxic metal concentrations towards the lake bottom, which was more pronounced in FC. The detection of Cu and Zn sulfides in the monimolimnion of FC suggests precipitation of dissolved metals as metal sulfides, pointing to biogenic sulfide formation. This was supported by microbial diversity analysis via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of samples from the water column, which showed the presence of sulfidogenic microbial taxa in FC and LZ. In the monimolimnion of FC, sequences affiliated with the putative sulfate-reducing genus Desulfomonile were dominant (58%), whereas in the more acidic and metal-enriched LZ, elemental sulfur-reducing Acidianus and Thermoplasma spp., and disproportionating Desulfocapsa spp. were more abundant. Furthermore, the detection of reads classified as methanogens and Desulfosporosinus spp., although at low relative abundance, represents one of the lowest pH values (2.9 in LZ) at which these taxa have been reported, to our knowledge. Analysis of potential biomarker lipids provided evidence that high levels of phosphocholine lipids with mixed acyl/ether glycerol core structures were associated with Desulfomonile, while ceramide lipids were characteristic of Microbacter in these environments. We propose that FC and LZ function as natural bioremediation reactors where metal sulfide precipitation is mediated by biosulfidogenesis starting from elemental sulfur reduction and disproportionation at an early stage (LZ), followed by sulfate reduction at a later stage (FC).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosulfidogenesis Mediates Natural Attenuation in Acidic Mine Pit Lakes

et al. 2020

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“…Acidiphilium sp. are capable of chemolithoautotrophy coupled to S 0 reduction, or Fe 3+ reduction coupled to H 2 or organic carbon oxidation, as well as expression of bacterial chlorophyll with Zn replacing Mg in the reaction center [47,48]. Given the lack of light-dependent carbon uptake and a temperature of 79.2 °C, it is our assumption that photoautotrophy was not occurring.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Productivity and Community Composition of Low Biomass/High Silica Precipitation Hot Springs: A Possible Window to Earth’s Early Biosphere?

Havig

Hamilton

2019

Life

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Terrestrial hot springs have provided a niche space for microbial communities throughout much of Earth’s history, and evidence for hydrothermal deposits on the Martian surface suggest this could have also been the case for the red planet. Prior to the evolution of photosynthesis, life in hot springs on early Earth would have been supported though chemoautotrophy. Today, hot spring geochemical and physical parameters can preclude the occurrence of oxygenic phototrophs, providing an opportunity to characterize the geochemical and microbial components. In the absence of the photo-oxidation of water, chemoautotrophy in these hot springs (and throughout Earth’s history) relies on the delivery of exogenous electron acceptors and donors such as H2, H2S, and Fe2+. Thus, systems fueled by chemoautotrophy are likely energy substrate-limited and support low biomass communities compared to those where oxygenic phototrophs are prevalent. Low biomass silica-precipitating systems have implications for preservation, especially over geologic time. Here, we examine and compare the productivity and composition of low biomass chemoautotrophic versus photoautotrophic communities in silica-saturated hot springs. Our results indicate low biomass chemoautotrophic microbial communities in Yellowstone National Park are supported primarily by sulfur redox reactions and, while similar in total biomass, show higher diversity in anoxygenic phototrophic communities compared to chemoautotrophs. Our data suggest productivity in Archean terrestrial hot springs may be directly linked to redox substrate availability, and there may be high potential for geochemical and physical biosignature preservation from these communities.

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Elemental Sulfur Oxidation in <i>Acidiphilium</i> spp.

Cited by 2 publications

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Biosulfidogenesis Mediates Natural Attenuation in Acidic Mine Pit Lakes

Biosulfidogenesis Mediates Natural Attenuation in Acidic Mine Pit Lakes

Productivity and Community Composition of Low Biomass/High Silica Precipitation Hot Springs: A Possible Window to Earth’s Early Biosphere?

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