Autotrophic Sulfate-reducing Bacteria Research Articles

Deltaproteobacterium Strain KaireiS1, a Mesophilic, Hydrogen-Oxidizing and Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium From an Inactive Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Chimney.

A novel deltaproteobacterial, mesophilic, hydrogen-oxidizing, and sulfate-reducing bacterium (strain KaireiS1) was highly enriched from an inactive chimney located in the active zone of the Kairei hydrothermal vent field (Central Indian Ridge) in the Indian Ocean. Based on 16S rRNA gene analyses, strain KaireiS1 is the currently only cultured representative of a cluster of uncultured Deltaproteobacteria, positioned within the Desulfobulbaceae family, between the Desulfobulbus genus and the “Cable Bacteria.” A facultative autotrophic lifestyle of KaireiS1 is indicated by its growth in the absence of organic compounds, measurements of CO2-fixation rates, and activity measurements of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, the key enzyme of the reductive Acetyl-CoA pathway. Apart from hydrogen, strain KaireiS1 can also use propionate, lactate, and pentadecane as electron donors. However, the highest cell numbers were reached when grown autotrophically with molecular hydrogen. Hydrogen uptake activity was found in membrane and soluble fractions of cell-free extracts and reached up to 2,981±129 nmol H2*min−1*mg−1 of partially purified protein. Commonly, autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria from the Deltaproteobacteria class, thriving in hydrothermal vent habitats are described as thermophiles. Given its physiological characteristics and specific isolation source, strain KaireiS1 demonstrates a previously unnoticed potential for microbial sulfate reduction by autotrophs taking place at moderate temperatures in hydrothermal vent fields.

Immobilization of lead and cadmium in agricultural soil by bioelectrochemical reduction of sulfate in underground water

In situ immobilization of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soil with sulfide (S2-) is an effective remediation strategy. Considering irrigating farmland with underground water, sulfate (SO42-) in underground water is an ideal S2- source for Pb and Cd immobilization. Herein, a bioelectrochemical remediation system was developed to immobilize Pb and Cd by coupling a bioelectrochemical sulfate-reducing reactor (SRR) with a soil immobilization reactor (SIR). In the SRR, SO42- in underground water was efficiently reduced to S2- by autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) using hydrogen as an electron donor via electrochemical water splitting reactions. Inputting 20 mA electricity, 30 mg/L S2- was produced and 77.4% of bioavailable Pb was converted to organic matter bound and residual bound. While, 49.0% of bioavailable Cd was converted to carbonates bound and Fe-Mn oxide bound. The bioelectrochemical remediation system was also efficient for three other soils with different properties. In addition, the most dominant SRB in the SRR was identified with 16S rRNA sequencing. Furthermore, phytotoxicity of the treated soil was proved to be decreased than the original soil and SO42- in the treated soil could be continually reduced to S2- for immobilizing Pb and Cd. Our study provides a promising technology to remediate heavy metal polluted soil.

Selective cathodic microbial biofilm retention allows a high current-to-sulfide efficiency in sulfate-reducing microbial electrolysis cells

Selective microbial retention is of paramount importance for the long-term performance of cathodic sulfate reduction in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) due to the slow growth rate of autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria. In this work, we investigate the biofilm retention and current-to-sulfide conversion efficiency using carbon granules (CG) or multi-wall carbon nanotubes deposited on reticulated vitreous carbon (MWCNT-RVC) as electrode materials. For ~2months, the MECs were operated at sulfate loading rates of 21 to 309gSO4 -S/m2/d. Although MWCNT-RVC achieved a current density of 57±11A/m2, greater than the 32±9A/m2 observed using CG, both materials exhibited similar sulfate reduction rates (SRR), with MWCNT-RVC reaching 104±16gSO4 -S/m2/d while 110±13gSO4 -S/m2/d were achieved with CG. Pyrosequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA at the end of experimentation revealed a core community dominated by Desulfovibrio (28%), Methanobacterium (19%) and Desulfomicrobium (14%), on the MWCNT-RVC electrodes. While a similar Desulfovibrio relative abundance of 29% was found in CG-biofilms, Desulfomicrobium was found to be significantly less abundant (4%) and Methanobacterium practically absent (0.2%) on CG electrodes. Surprisingly, our results show that CG can achieve higher current-to-sulfide efficiencies at lower power consumption than the nano-modified three-dimensional MWCNT-RVC.

A biofilm model to understand the onset of sulfate reduction in denitrifying membrane biofilm reactors

This work presents a multispecies biofilm model that describes the co-existence of nitrate- and sulfate-reducing bacteria in the H(2)-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR). The new model adapts the framework of a biofilm model for simultaneous nitrate and perchlorate removal by considering the unique metabolic and physiological characteristics of autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria that use H(2) as their electron donor. To evaluate the model, the simulated effluent H(2), UAP (substrate-utilization-associated products), and BAP (biomass-associated products) concentrations are compared to experimental results, and the simulated biomass distributions are compared to real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) data in the experiments for parameter optimization. Model outputs and experimental results match for all major trends and explain when sulfate reduction does or does not occur in parallel with denitrification. The onset of sulfate reduction occurs only when the nitrate concentration at the fiber's outer surface is low enough so that the growth rate of the denitrifying bacteria is equal to that of the sulfate-reducing bacteria. An example shows how to use the model to design an MBfR that achieves satisfactory nitrate reduction, but suppresses sulfate reduction.

Dynamic mathematical modeling of sulfate reducing gas-lift reactors

This paper presents a mathematical model able to simulate under dynamic conditions the physical, chemical and biological processes prevailing in a biological sulfate reducing gas-lift reactor. The proposed model is based on differential mass balance equations for substrates, products and bacterial groups involved in a sulfate reduction process. Heterotrophic sulfate reducing bacteria (HSRB), autotrophic sulfate reducing bacteria (ASRB), homoacetogenic bacteria (HB), methanogenic archaea (MA) and acetate degraders (AD) are the microbial groups taken into account in the model. The model is also used to validate a steady-state design model previously proposed by Esposito et al. [1].The proposed model is able to simulate the competition between the biological bacteria growing in the reactor, and predict the performance of a gas-lift reactor. The model includes two main parts: (1) a kinetic part including growth, metabolism and competition of SRB, HB, MA and AD in the system and (2) a mass-transfer part describing the thermodynamic concentration equilibria of gaseous components in the liquid and gas phase. The model has been validated using experimental data obtained by operating a laboratory-scale gas-lift reactor as described in Esposito et al. [2].The model can be applied to simulate the sulfate reduction process in a gas-lift reactor for several purposes, such as the evaluation of the optimal process conditions in terms of COD:SO42− ratio, hydraulic retention time and gas input flow. In particular, model simulations reported in this paper show the model capability to predict the prevailing bacterial species and concentrations in the reactor as a function of the hydraulic retention time.

Stable carbon isotopic compositions of intact polar lipids reveal complex carbon flow patterns among hydrocarbon degrading microbial communities at the Chapopote asphalt volcano

Seepage of asphalt forms the basis of a cold seep system at 3000 m water depth at the Chapopote Knoll in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Anaerobic microbial communities are stimulated in the oil-impregnated sediments as evidenced by the presence of intact polar membrane lipids (IPLs) derived from archaea and Bacteria at depths up to 7 m below the seafloor. Detailed investigation of stable carbon isotope composition (δ 13C) of alkyl and acyl moieties derived from a range of IPL precursors with distinct polar head groups resolved the complexity of carbon metabolisms and utilization of diverse carbon sources by uncultured microbial communities. In surface sediments most of the polar lipid-derived fatty acids with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) head groups could be tentatively assigned to autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria, with a relatively small proportion involved in the anaerobic oxidation of methane. Derivatives of phosphatidyl-( N)-methylethanolamine (PME) were abundant and could be predominantly assigned to heterotrophic oil-degrading bacteria. Archaeal IPLs with phosphate-based hydroxyarchaeols and diglycosidic glyceroldibiphytanylglyceroltetraethers (GDGTs) were assigned to methanotrophic archaea of the ANME-2 and ANME-1 cluster, respectively, whereas δ 13C values of phosphate-based archaeols and mixed phosphate-based and diglycosidic GDGTs point to methanogenic archaea. At a 7 m deep sulfate–methane transition zone that is linked to the upward movement of gas-laden petroleum, a distinct increase in abundance of archaeal IPLs such as phosphate-based hydroxyarchaeols and diglycosidic archaeol and GDGTs is observed; their δ 13C values are consistent with their origin from both methanotrophic and methanogenic archaea. This study reveals previously hidden, highly complex patterns in the carbon-flow of versatile microbial communities involved in the degradation of heavy oil including hydrocarbon gases that would not have been evident from classical compound-specific isotope analyses of either bulk IPL or apolar lipid derivatives.

Anaerobic methane oxidation by archaea/sulfate-reducing bacteria aggregates: 2. Isotopic constraints

Recent studies employing novel analytical tools provide detailed, microscopic portraits of archaea/sulfate-reducing bacteria aggregates in sediments from methane seep and vent sites. One of the most striking features of these aggregates is that lipid and cell carbon are highly depleted in ¹³C (δ¹³C < −60‰). Biogenic methane, with δ¹³C values of −50 to −110 permil, is a logical candidate for carbon source of these aggregates. Accordingly, it is widely assumed that the archaea oxidize and assimilate methane, and that methane-derived carbon is transferred to the sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) symbionts as CO₂ or as a partially oxidized intermediate. However, methane is not the only possible source of ¹³C-depleted carbon in archaea/SRB aggregates. ΣCO₂ in sediments at seep and vent sites tends to be isotopically “light” due to decomposition of organic matter derived from chemoautotrophic organisms. In addition, CO₂ is depleted in ¹³C by ∼10 permil compared to ΣCO₂ owing to the equilibrium isotope effect. Assimilation of this “light” CO₂ by methanogenic archaea and autotrophic SRB, combined with enzymatic isotope effects, could also yield lipid and biomass that are highly depleted in ¹³C. We derive general equations based on isotope mass-balance and calibrated with laboratory and field data to predict the isotopic composition of archaeal cell carbon and lipids derived from autotrophic methanogenesis and anaerobic methane oxidation. The calculations show that observed δ¹³C values for archaeal biomass and lipids at methane seep and vent sites are readily accounted for by isotope fractionation during methane production from CO₂, and that biomass produced during anaerobic methane oxidation is only slightly depleted in ¹³C relative to methane unless the enzymatic isotope effect associated with the anabolic arm of the assimilation-dissimilation branch point is considerably larger than the isotope effect associated with the catabolic arm. We also apply an isotope diffusion-reaction model to demonstrate that micro-gradients in δ¹³C-CO₂ cannot be maintained within archaea/SRB aggregates. However, ¹³C-depleted carbon in SRB members of the aggregate is readily explained by autotrophic sulfate-reduction with bulk porewater CO₂ as carbon source. These results illustrate that ¹³C-depleted biomass and lipids observed in sediments from methane seep and vent sites may be derived from CO₂-reducing archaea and autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria. The inference of anaerobic methanotrophy based on ¹³C depletion in archaeal and sulfate-reducing bacterial cell carbon and/or lipids should be considered tentative unless corroborated by independent, concordant evidence of net methane consumption.

User-Friendly Mathematical Model for the Design of Sulfate Reducing H2∕CO2 Fed Bioreactors

This paper presents three steady-state mathematical models for the design of H2∕CO2 fed gas-lift reactors aimed at biological sulfate reduction to remove sulfate from wastewater. Models 1A and 1B are based on heterotrophic sulfate reducing bacteria (HSRB), while Model 2 is based on autotrophic sulfate reducing bacteria (ASRB) as the dominant group of sulfate reducers in the gas-lift reactor. Once the influent wastewater characteristics are known and the desired sulfate removal efficiency is fixed, all models give explicit mathematical relationships to determine the bioreactor volume and the effluent concentrations of substrates and products. The derived explicit relationships make application of the models very easy, fast, and no iterative procedures are required. Model simulations show that the size of the H2∕CO2 fed gas-lift reactors aimed at biological sulfate removal from wastewater highly depends on the number and type of trophic groups growing in the bioreactor. In particular, if the biological sulfate reduction is performed in a bioreactor where ASRB prevail, the required bioreactor volume is much smaller than that needed with HSRB. This is because ASRB can out-compete methanogenic archaea (MA) for H2 (assuming sulfate concentrations are not limiting), whereas HSRB do not necessarily out-compete MA due to their dependence on homoacetogenic bacteria (HB) for organic carbon. The reactor sizes to reach the same sulfate removal efficiency by HSRB and ASRB are only comparable when methanogenesis is inhibited. Moreover, model results indicate that acetate supply to the reactor influent does not affect the HSRB biomass required in the reactor, but favors the dominance of MA on HB as a consequence of a lower HB requirement for acetate supply.

Rapid autohydrogenotrophic denitrification by a membrane biofilm reactor equipped with a fibrous support around a gas-permeable membrane

A hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR), employing fibrous slag as a bacterial carrier, was developed for rapid and stable autohydrogenotrophic denitrification. This reactor allows hydrogen to be supplied through a gas-permeable membrane to the biofilm supported by fibrous slag. The estimation of hydrogen supply rate clearly demonstrated that hydrogen flux ( J H 2 ) is dependent on the gas pressure, leading to a possibility to control J H 2 by adjusting the pressure. A startup experiment to investigate denitrification rate with time clarified that denitrification rate of 4.35 g N/m 2/day was achieved on day 10, exhibiting rapid startup for autohydrogenotrophic denitrification. Continuous denitrification experiment obviously indicated the effectiveness of the fibrous slag as a bacterial support; concretely, mean denitrification efficiency and rate after 70-days operation reached 99% and 6.58 g N/m 2/day at a hydrogen pressure of 50 kPa, respectively, which results in the accomplishment of stable and high-speed denitrification. However, hydrogen utilization efficiency (HUE) was approximately 40%. This low efficiency allowed autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) to grow in the fibrous-membrane matrix; eventually the HUE for sulfate reduction increased up to 28% on day 74. This result clearly indicates the significance of J H 2 control through the gas-permeable membrane for suppressing the occurrence of sulfate reduction.

CO2fixation in acetogenic bacteria: Variations on a theme

An increasing number of strict anaerobic bacteria are being found which use an alternative pathway to the ubiquitous Calvin cycle for CO2 fixation into cell compounds and the ubiquitous Krebs cycle for acetyl CoA oxidation to CO2. The principles of this non-cyclic pathway, the acetyl CoA pathway, have long been studied in acetogenic bacteria. These bacteria can catalyze the exergonic reduction of 2 CO2 with 8 reducing equivalents to acetate. In this pathway, CO2 reduction is part of a catabolic redox process which functions to accept reducing equivalents from a variety of dehydrogenated substrates. This process yields net ATP generated by electron transport phosphorylation. Acetyl CoA is an intermediate, formed from one CO2 via a tetrahydropteridine-bound 1-carbon unit (methyl group of acetate), and from another CO2 via a bound carbon monoxide (carboxyl group of acetate). The most characteristic and complex enzyme involved in acetyl CoA synthesis is carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (‘acetyl CoA synthase’). The enzymes of this acetyl CoA pathway not only participate in (1) acetate synthesis in energy metabolism of acetogenic bacteria, but also mediate (2) acetyl CoA oxidation in sulfate-reducing bacteria and possibly other anaerobes; (3) acetate disproportionation to CO2 and CH4 in the energy metabolism of many methanogenic bacteria; (4) autotrophic CO2 fixation in autotrophic acetogenic, methanogenic, and most autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria; (5) assimilation and/or dissimilation of 1-carbon compounds in many anaerobes; (6) CO oxidation to CO2 in anaerobes. A specialized group of anaerobes performs acetate synthesis from CO2 or from C1 units via a different pathway, the glycine synthase/glycine reductase pathway. Glycine is an intermediate which is formed from 2 C1 compounds, and is then reduced to acetate. The principal features of the two pathways and some open questions are discussed in this review. Emphasis is placed upon the acetyl CoA pathway in acetogenic bacteria, but important advances in the study of other strict anaerobes are also considered.

CO 2 fixation in acetogenic bacteria: Variations on a theme

An increasing number of strict anaerobic bacteria are being found which use an alternative pathway to the ubiquitous Calvin cycle for CO 2 fixation into cell compounds and the ubiquitous Krebs cycle for acetyl CoA oxidation to CO 2. The principles of this non-cyclic pathway, the acetyl CoA pathway, have long been studied in acetogenic bacteria. These bacteria can catalyze the exergonic reduction of 2 CO 2 with 8 reducing equivalents to acetate. In this pathway, CO 2 reduction is part of a catabolic redox process which functions to accept reducing equivalents from a variety of dehydrogenated substrates. This process yields net ATP generated by electron transport phosphorylation. Acetyl CoA is an intermediate, formed from one CO 2 via a tetrahydropteridine-bound 1-carbon unit (methyl group of acetate), and from another CO 2 via a bound carbon monoxide (carboxyl group of acetate). The most characteristic and complex enzyme involved in acetyl CoA synthesis is carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (‘acetyl CoA synthase’). The enzymes of this acetyl CoA pathway not only participate in (1) acetate synthesis in energy metabolism of acetogenic bacteria, but also mediate (2) acetyl CoA oxidation in sulfate-reducing bacteria and possibly other anaerobes; (3) acetate disproportionation to CO 2 and CH 4 in the energy metabolism of many methanogenic bacteria; (4) autotrophic CO 2 fixation in autotrophic acetogenic, methanogenic, and most autotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria; (5) assimilation and/or dissimilation of 1-carbon compounds in many anaerobes; (6) CO oxidation to CO 2 in anaerobes. A specialized group of anaerobes performs acetate synthesis from CO 2 or from C 1 units via a different pathway, the glycine synthase/glycine reductase pathway. Glycine is an intermediate which is formed from 2 C 1 compounds, and is then reduced to acetate. The principal features of the two pathways and some open questions are discussed in this review. Emphasis is placed upon the acetyl CoA pathway in acetogenic bacteria, but important advances in the study of other strict anaerobes are also considered.