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Gilmour KA, Ghimire PS, Wright J, Haystead J, Dade-Robertson M, Zhang M, James P. Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation through CO 2 sequestration via an engineered Bacillus subtilis. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:168. [PMID: 38858761 PMCID: PMC11163794 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02437-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation has been extensively researched for geoengineering applications as well as diverse uses within the built environment. Bacteria play a crucial role in producing calcium carbonate minerals, via enzymes including carbonic anhydrase-an enzyme with the capability to hydrolyse CO2, commonly employed in carbon capture systems. This study describes previously uncharacterised carbonic anhydrase enzyme sequences capable of sequestering CO2 and subsequentially generating CaCO3 biominerals and suggests a route to produce carbon negative cementitious materials for the construction industry. RESULTS Here, Bacillus subtilis was engineered to recombinantly express previously uncharacterised carbonic anhydrase enzymes from Bacillus megaterium and used as a whole cell catalyst allowing this novel bacterium to sequester CO2 and convert it to calcium carbonate. A significant decrease in CO2 was observed from 3800 PPM to 820 PPM upon induction of carbonic anhydrase and minerals recovered from these experiments were identified as calcite and vaterite using X-ray diffraction. Further experiments mixed the use of this enzyme (as a cell free extract) with Sporosarcina pasteurii to increase mineral production whilst maintaining a comparable level of CO2 sequestration. CONCLUSION Recombinantly produced carbonic anhydrase successfully sequestered CO2 and converted it into calcium carbonate minerals using an engineered microbial system. Through this approach, a process to manufacture cementitious materials with carbon sequestration ability could be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A Gilmour
- Living Construction Group, Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Prakriti Sharma Ghimire
- Living Construction Group, Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Jennifer Wright
- Living Construction Group, Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, UK
- Diosynth Biotechnologies, FUJIFILM, Billingham, TS23 1LH, UK
| | - Jamie Haystead
- Living Construction Group, Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Martyn Dade-Robertson
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 7RU, UK
- Living Construction Group, Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Meng Zhang
- Living Construction Group, Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK.
| | - Paul James
- Living Construction Group, Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University at Newcastle, Newcastle, NE1 8ST, UK.
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Degiacomi G, Gianibbi B, Recchia D, Stelitano G, Truglio GI, Marra P, Stamilla A, Makarov V, Chiarelli LR, Manetti F, Pasca MR. CanB, a Druggable Cellular Target in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:25209-25220. [PMID: 37483251 PMCID: PMC10357428 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c02311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Treatment against tuberculosis can lead to the selection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. To tackle this serious threat, new targets from M. tuberculosis are needed to develop novel effective drugs. In this work, we aimed to provide a possible workflow to validate new targets and inhibitors by combining genetic, in silico, and enzymological approaches. CanB is one of the three M. tuberculosis β-carbonic anhydrases that catalyze the reversible reaction of CO2 hydration to form HCO3- and H+. To this end, we precisely demonstrated that CanB is essential for the survival of the pathogen in vitro by constructing conditional mutants. In addition, to search for CanB inhibitors, conditional canB mutants were also constructed using the Pip-ON system. By molecular docking and minimum inhibitory concentration assays, we selected three molecules that inhibit the growth in vitro of M. tuberculosis wild-type strain and canB conditional mutants, thus implementing a target-to-drug approach. The lead compound also showed a bactericidal activity by the time-killing assay. We further studied the interactions of these molecules with CanB using enzymatic assays and differential scanning fluorimetry thermal shift analysis. In conclusion, the compounds identified by the in silico screening proved to have a high affinity as CanB ligands endowed with antitubercular activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Degiacomi
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Beatrice Gianibbi
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Deborah Recchia
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Giovanni Stelitano
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | | | - Paola Marra
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Alessandro Stamilla
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Vadim Makarov
- Bakh
Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy
of Science, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Laurent Robert Chiarelli
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Manetti
- Department
of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Maria Rosalia Pasca
- Department
of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
- Fondazione
IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia 27100, Italy
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Medina Ferrer F, Hobart K, Bailey JV. Field detection of urease and carbonic anhydrase activity using rapid and economical tests to assess microbially induced carbonate precipitation. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:1877-1888. [PMID: 32720477 PMCID: PMC7533345 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial precipitation of calcium carbonate is a widespread environmental phenomenon that has diverse engineering applications, from building and soil restoration to carbon sequestration. Urease-mediated ureolysis and CO2 (de)hydration by carbonic anhydrase (CA) are known for their potential to precipitate carbonate minerals, yet many environmental microbial community studies rely on marker gene or metagenomic approaches that are unable to determine in situ activity. Here, we developed fast and cost-effective tests for the field detection of urease and CA activity using pH-sensitive strips inside microcentrifuge tubes that change colour in response to the reaction products of urease (NH3 ) and CA (CO2 ). The urease assay proved sensitive and useful in the field to detect in situ activity in biofilms from a saline lake, a series of calcareous fens, and ferrous springs, finding relatively high urease activity in lake samples. Incubations of lake microbes with urea resulted in significantly higher CaCO3 precipitation compared to incubations with a urease inhibitor, showing that the rapid assay indicated an on-site active metabolism potentially mediating carbonate precipitation. The CA assay, however, showed less sensitivity compared to the urease test. While its sensitivity limits its utility, the assay may still be useful as a preliminary indicator given the paucity of other means for detecting CA activity in the field. Field urease, and potentially CA, activity assays complement molecular approaches and facilitate the search for carbonate-precipitating microbes and their in situ activity, which could be applied toward agriculture, engineering and carbon sequestration technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Medina Ferrer
- Department of Earth & Environmental SciencesCollege of Science & EngineeringUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Kathryn Hobart
- Department of Earth & Environmental SciencesCollege of Science & EngineeringUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesMinneapolisMNUSA
- Institute for Rock MagnetismUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Jake V. Bailey
- Department of Earth & Environmental SciencesCollege of Science & EngineeringUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesMinneapolisMNUSA
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