Flocking asbestos waste, an iron and magnesium source for Pseudomonas

Pseudomonas brassicacearum-Induced Biotite Weathering: Role of Iron Homeostasis and Two Siderophores

Soil bacteria play a crucial role in enhancing mineral weathering, thereby facilitating the release of mineral structural ions into the environment. Pseudomonas brassicacearum NFM421, a root-isolated bacterium, produces two different siderophores in the form of pyoverdine and ornicorrugatin. We studied the interaction between this bacterium and biotite─a natural iron-bearing phyllosilicate─to assess the factors governing siderophore-mediated biogenic weathering. We demonstrated that bacterial Fe is an essential factor driving biotite weathering. Our findings suggested that the lipopeptidic siderophore ornicorrugatin might be more effective than pyoverdine as an iron-bearing mineral weathering agent. This secondary siderophore's production is maintained even when the iron requirement of the bacteria is fulfilled. Moreover, we observed that another mechanism requiring direct physical contact might enable P. brassicacearum to acquire iron structural ions from soil minerals.

Examining the Environmental Ramifications of Asbestos Fiber Movement Through the Water-Soil Continuum: A Review

The environmental pollution potential of asbestos products is a worldwide health issue, but their dissemination through the water-soil continuum is often an overlooked aspect. Similarly, the behavior of asbestos fibers released from the products is still not fully understood, although our knowledge is based on studies concerning their mineralogical characteristics, health effects, and waste disposal. It has been claimed and contradicted that asbestos harm is only found in air and humans. Asbestos fibers are found not only in industrial settings but also through the industrial use of asbestos cement products, which has contributed to asbestos emissions and its movement in water and soil. Asbestos fibers are diverse in their physicochemical properties, and this diversity has a significant influence on their behavior in the environment. Recent research has confirmed that asbestos can be transported by water and spread to other parts of the environment. However, the mechanisms underlying this, such as the settling of fibers, their attachment to soil particles, or their movement in groundwater, as well as the environmental and health implications, require further investigation. This paper examines the process and impact of asbestos contamination in the interconnected water, soil, and plant environmental sectors, providing a systematic review of the latest literature.

Hydroxamate Siderophores Intensify the Co-Deposition of Cadmium and Silicon as Phytolith-Like Particulates in Rice Stem Nodes: A Natural Strategy to Mitigate Grain Cadmium Accumulation

Sequestration of cadmium (Cd) in rice phytolith can effectively restrict its migration to the grains, but how hydroxamate siderophore (HDS) affects phytolith formation within rice plants especially the fate of Cd and silicon (Si) remains poorly understood. Here, we found that the addition of HDS increased the content of dissolved Si and Cd in soil pore water as well as its absorption by the rice roots during the reproductive growth stage. HDS effectively trapped orthosilicic acid and Cd ions at the third stem nodes of rice plants via hydrogen bonds and chelation interactions, which then rapidly deposited on the xylem cell wall through hydrophobic interactions. Ultimately, Cd was immobilized as phytolith-like particulates in the form of CdSiO3. Field experiments verified that Cd accumulation was significantly reduced by 46.4% in rice grains but increased by 41.2% in rice stems after HDS addition. Overall, this study advances our understanding of microbial metabolites enhancing the instinctive physiological barriers within rice plants.

Siderophores and metallophores: Metal complexation weapons to fight environmental pollution

Siderophores are small molecules of organic nature, released by bacteria to chelate iron from the surrounding environment and subsequently incorporate it into the cytoplasm. In addition to iron, these secondary metabolites can complex with a wide variety of metals, which is why they are commonly studied in the environment. Heavy metals can be very toxic when present in large amounts on the planet, affecting public health and all living organisms. The pollution caused by these toxic metals is increasing, and therefore it is urgent to find practical, sustainable, and economical solutions for remediation. One of the strategies is siderophore-assisted bioremediation, an innovative and advantageous alternative for various environmental applications. This research highlights the various uses of siderophores and metallophores in the environment, underscoring their significance to ecosystems. The study delves into the utilization of siderophores and metallophores in both marine and terrestrial settings (e.g. bioremediation, biocontrol of pathogens, and plant growth promotion), such as bioremediation, biocontrol of pathogens, and plant growth promotion, providing context for the different instances outlined in the existing literature and highlighting their relevance in each field. The study delves into the structures and types of siderophores focusing on their singular characteristics for each application and methodologies used. Focusing on recent developments over the last two decades, the opportunities and challenges associated with siderophores and metallophores applications in the environment were mapped to arm researchers in the fight against environmental pollution.

Novel Insights on Pyoverdine: From Biosynthesis to Biotechnological Application

Pyoverdines (PVDs) are a class of siderophores produced mostly by members of the genus Pseudomonas. Their primary function is to accumulate, mobilize, and transport iron necessary for cell metabolism. Moreover, PVDs also play a crucial role in microbes’ survival by mediating biofilm formation and virulence. In this review, we reorganize the information produced in recent years regarding PVDs biosynthesis and pathogenic mechanisms, since PVDs are extremely valuable compounds. Additionally, we summarize the therapeutic applications deriving from the PVDs’ use and focus on their role as therapeutic target themselves. We assess the current biotechnological applications of different sectors and evaluate the state-of-the-art technology relating to the use of synthetic biology tools for pathway engineering. Finally, we review the most recent methods and techniques capable of identifying such molecules in complex matrices for drug-discovery purposes.

Brucella induces heme oxygenase-1 expression to promote its infection

Brucellosis is a zoonotic and contagious infectious disease caused by Brucella spp, which causes substantial economic losses to animal husbandry and leads to severe public health problems. Brucella have evolved multiple strategies to escape host immunity and survive within host cells. Elucidating the immune evasion strategies during Brucella infection will facilitate the control of brucellosis. The host enzyme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), is a multifunctional protein that functions during inflammatory diseases and microbial infections. However, how HO-1 functions during Brucella infection is rarely studied. In this study, we evaluated the role of HO-1 during Brucella infection. We found that Brucella infection induced HO-1 expression in macrophages. We further showed that HO-1 was regulated by PI3K, AMPK kinase, and nuclear erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in macrophages. Interestingly, knocking out HO-1 or inhibiting the activity of HO-1 significantly decreased Brucella intracellular growth. Inducing the expression of HO-1 by treatment with CoPP promoted Brucella intracellular growth. Mechanistic analyses indicated that the effect of HO-1 was not meditated by HO-1 metabolites, but by decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), TNF-α, and IL-1β. Moreover, Brucella induced HO-1 expression in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and mice. When the expression of HO-1 was knocked down in BMDMs, the intracellular survival of Brucella was reduced. Furthermore, the induction of HO-1 by CoPP significantly increased bacterial loads in vivo. Thus, we demonstrated that Brucella induced HO-1 expression to promote its survival and growth in vitro and in vivo. This study also identified HO-1 as a novel innate immune evasion factor during Brucella infection.

Detection of Fur, AmoA and pvcAB genes in Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from aquatic organisms and impact on bacterial growth under different iron concentrations

ABSTRACT Infection caused by Aeromonas brings great harm to fish farming. Among the factors associated with bacterial pathogenesis, iron uptake can contribute to the survival and virulence of bacteria within hosts. The aim of this study was to check the presence of genes related to iron uptake in Aeromonas hydrophila deriving from aquatic organisms in the São Francisco Valley and associate the presence of these genes with the ability to grow in media containing different concentrations of iron. The DNAs of 41 isolates were extracted and used in PCRs to verify the presence of the Fur, AmoA and pvcAB genes related to iron uptake. The growth of the isolates belonging to different genetic profiles was verified in culture media containing different iron concentrations. Two isolates were positive for the presence of the Fur gene, seven for the AmoA gene and two for the pvcAB gene. The growth test showed that the low availability of iron did not interfere in the growth of the isolates, nor in the isolate that did not contain any of the genes evaluated in this study, suggesting that the iron uptake’s mechanisms of the tested isolates may be related to other genes and proteins.

Engineering siderophore production in Pseudomonas to improve asbestos weathering

Iron plays a key role in microbial metabolism and bacteria have developed multiple siderophore-driven mechanisms due to its poor bioavailability for organisms in the environment. Iron-bearing minerals generally serve as a nutrient source to sustain bacterial growth after bioweathering. Siderophores are high-affinity ferric iron chelators, of which the biosynthesis is tightly regulated by the presence of iron. Pyoverdine-producing Pseudomonas have shown their ability to extract iron and magnesium from asbestos waste as nutrients. However, such bioweathering is rapidly limited due to repression of the pyoverdine pathway and the low bacterial requirement for iron. We developed a metabolically engineered strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for which pyoverdine production was no longer repressed by iron as a proof of concept. We compared siderophore-promoted dissolution of flocking asbestos waste by this optimized strain to that by the wild-type strain. Interestingly, pyoverdine production by the optimized strain was seven times higher in the presence of asbestos waste and the dissolution of magnesium and iron from the chrysotile fibres contained in flocking asbestos waste was significantly enhanced. This innovative mineral weathering process contributes to remove toxic iron from the asbestos fibres and may contribute to the development of an eco-friendly method to manage asbestos waste.

Synergistic leaching of heavy metal-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in co-contaminated soil by hydroxamate siderophore: Role of cation-π and chelation

Exploring a novel green efficient bioeluant is a golden key to unlock the ex-situ scale remediation of soil contaminated with heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Hydroxamate siderophore (HDS) produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens HMP01, with certain hydrophobicity and strong coordination because of its special chemical structure (e.g., hydroxamic acid and dihydroxy quinoline chromophore), was used to investigate the bioleaching efficiency of HMs and PAHs from actual contaminated soils and underlying mechanisms. Results showed that leaching efficiency for HMs and PAHs from the co-contaminated soil was higher than that of single contaminated soil due to the cation-π interaction and coordination, which was closely related to the spacial configuration changes of the complex. HDS not only increased the bioleaching efficiency of cationic HMs by chelation (the leaching amount of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Ni²⁺ achieved 27.5, 110.4, 6.9, 477.7, 10,606.9, and 137.4 mg/kg HDS, respectively) but also enhanced the bioleaching amount of PAHs by solubilization (the leaching amount of phenanthrene reached 90.2 mg/kg HDS. Also, the residual HDS in soils caused no significant ecological risk. As expected, HDS is a desirable bioeluant to promote the scale application of the ex-situ remediation of soil contaminated with HMs and PAHs.

Analysis of microbial community structure and diversity in surrounding rock soil of different waste dump sites in fushun western opencast mine

It is importance to understand the correlation between the physicochemical properties of different surrounding rock soil and microbial communities in Fushun western opencast mining for the ecological restoration of land after mine closure. In this study, two layers of soil samples were collected from four different areas in Fushun western opencast mining: coal gangue area (CGA), green mudstone area (GMA), oil shale area (OSA) and mixed area (MA). Then, the effects of different surrounding rock soil physicochemical properties on the microbial communities were explored using the High-throughput sequencing technique. A wide diversity of taxonomical groups were present in four soil cores, and many were correlated with soil physicochemical properties. The obvious differences in microbial communities between different areas showed the influence of different surrounding rock soil on the microbial communities were significant. Redundancy analysis and the network diagram confirmed that soil physicochemical properties pH (Pondus Hydrogenii)-AN (Available Nitrogen)-EC (Electronic Conductivity)-WC (Water Content)-TK (Total Nitrogen), Cd (Cadmium)-Ni (Nickel) had great influence on the microbial communities. Therefore, this study can provide scientific judgments for the different surrounding rock soil physicochemical properties in coal mining, microbial-mediated rock mineralization and biogeochemical cycles.

Biodeterioration of asbestos cement by siderophore-producing Pseudomonas

Since the ban on the use of asbestos due to its carcinogenic properties, the removal of asbestos cement, representing the major asbestos-containing waste, has proven to be a challenge in most industrial countries. Asbestos-containing products are mainly disposed of in landfills and have remained untreated. Bioremediation involving bacteria previously reported the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to release iron from flocking asbestos waste through a siderophore-driven mechanism. We examined the involvement of siderophore-producing Pseudomonas in the biodeterioration of asbestos cement. Iron and magnesium solubilization were evaluated by specific siderophore-producing mutants. The absence of one of the two siderophores affected iron extraction, whereas equivalent dissolution as that of the control was observed in the absence of siderophore. Both pyoverdine and pyochelin biosynthesis was repressed in the presence of asbestos cement, suggesting iron bioavailability from the waste. We compared the efficiency of various pyoverdines to scavenge iron from asbestos cement waste that revealed the efficiency of all pyoverdines. Pyoverdines were efficient in iron removal extracted continuously, with no evident extraction limit, in long-term weathering experiments with these pyoverdines. The optimization of pyoverdine-asbestos weathering may allow the development of a bioremediation process to avoid the disposal of such waste in landfills.

A Review of Asbestos Bioweathering by Siderophore-Producing Pseudomonas: A Potential Strategy of Bioremediation

Asbestos, silicate minerals present in soil and used for building constructions for many years, are highly toxic due primarily to the presence of high concentrations of the transition metal iron. Microbial weathering of asbestos occurs through various alteration mechanisms. Siderophores, complex agents specialized in metal chelation, are common mechanisms described in mineral alteration. Solubilized metals from the fiber can serve as micronutrients for telluric microorganisms. The review focuses on the bioweathering of asbestos fibers, found in soil or manufactured by humans with gypsum (asbestos flocking) or cement, by siderophore-producing Pseudomonas. A better understanding of the interactions between asbestos and bacteria will give a perspective of a detoxification process inhibiting asbestos toxicity.