Microbial magnetite oxidation via MtoAB porin-multiheme cytochrome complex in Sideroxydans lithotrophicus ES-1.

Abstract

Mineral-bound iron could be a vast source of energy to iron-oxidizing bacteria, but there is limited evidence of this metabolism, and it has been unknown whether the mechanisms of solid and dissolved Fe(II) oxidation are distinct. In iron-reducing bacteria, multiheme cytochromes can facilitate iron mineral reduction, and here, we link a multiheme cytochrome-based pathway to mineral oxidation, broadening the known functionality of multiheme cytochromes. Given the growing recognition of microbial oxidation of minerals and cathodes, increasing our understanding of these mechanisms will allow us to recognize and trace the activities of mineral-oxidizing microbes. This work shows how solid iron minerals can promote microbial growth, which if widespread, could be a major agent of geologic weathering and mineral-fueled nutrient cycling in sediments, aquifers, and rock-hosted environments.