Abstract
Although the capacity for electroactive bacteria to convert environmental metallic minerals and organic pollutants is well known, the role of the redox properties of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in this process is poorly understood. In this work, the redox properties of EPS from two widely present electroactive bacterial strains (Shewanella oneidensis and Pseudomonas putida) were explored. Electrochemical analysis demonstrates that the EPS extracted from the two strains exhibited redox properties. Spectroelectrochemical and protein electrophoresis analyses indicate that the extracted EPS from S. oneidensis and P. putida contained heme-binding proteins, which were identified as the possible redox components in the EPS. The results of heme-mediated behavior of EPS may provide an insight into the important roles of EPS in electroactive bacteria to maximize their redox capability for biogeochemical cycling, environmental bioremediation and wastewater treatment.
Highlights
The capacity for electroactive bacteria to convert environmental metallic minerals and organic pollutants is well known, the role of the redox properties of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in this process is poorly understood
It has been suggested that the redox properties of Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) may arise from bacterial refractory polymers, such as proteins and, possibly, humic substances, which could serve as electron donors or acceptors in bacterial biofilms[7]
These results suggest that the redox properties of EPS play important roles in the migration and transformation of redox-sensitive contaminants by electroctive bacteria
Summary
The capacity for electroactive bacteria to convert environmental metallic minerals and organic pollutants is well known, the role of the redox properties of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in this process is poorly understood. The redox properties of EPS from two widely present electroactive bacterial strains (Shewanella oneidensis and Pseudomonas putida) were explored. Though there is limited research into the redox properties of Pseudomonas putida EPS, some studies have reported that P. putida can reduce arsenate[15] and biotransform dibenzothiophene[16]. These results suggest that the redox properties of EPS play important roles in the migration and transformation of redox-sensitive contaminants by electroctive bacteria. The results of this work provide an insight into the relationship between microbial extracellular electron transfer and the redox properties of EPS from electroactive bacteria
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