Iron or sulfur respiration-an adaptive choice determining the fitness of a natronophilic bacterium Dethiobacter alkaliphilus in geochemically contrasting environments

Anaerobic corrosion of steel wire by Geoalkalibacter ferrihydriticus under alkaline autotrophic conditions

Microbially induced corrosion (MIC), caused by iron-cycling microorganisms that directly uptake electrons from metallic iron, is a serious economic and environmental problem. Iron corrosion is inhibited at pH above 9.0 in the presence of carbonate by the formation of a passivating film, but the possibility of direct oxidation of metallic iron by anaerobic alkaliphiles has not been thoroughly investigated. This bioinduced process may pose a serious environmental hazard under anaerobic alkaline conditions of underground radioactive waste disposal in metal containers with bentonite clays. We used Geoalkalibacter ferrihydriticus, an anaerobic iron-cycling bacterium capable of both dissimilatory iron reduction and anaerobic iron oxidation, as a model organism to investigate the microbial ability to utilize Fe0 from steel wire as an electron donor under anaerobic autotrophic conditions at pH 9.5. During bacterial growth, corrosion of the steel wire was induced and accompanied by intense H2 production and precipitation of a solid phase. Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that green rust with siderite admixture was the major mineral formed during Fe oxidation. Protons appeared to be the only thermodynamically favorable electron acceptor for G. ferrihydriticus. Their reduction could lead to hydrogen production. Genomic analysis supported the proposal of such a metabolic mode for the organism. Thus, we have shown that MIC can be realized under anaerobic alkaline conditions by iron-cycling microorganisms in the absence of organic substrates. Microbial hydrogen production may facilitate the further development of authigenic microflora, which could further increase corrosion in radioactive waste repositories and reduce the barrier properties of bentonite clays.IMPORTANCEMicrobially induced corrosion (MIC) is a problem with significant economic damage. MIC processes occurring under anaerobic conditions at neutral pH have been actively studied over the last decades. Meanwhile, MIC processes under anaerobic alkaline conditions remain very poorly understood, although they represent a serious environmental problem, as such conditions are characteristic of the geological disposal of nuclear waste stored in metal containers isolated by clays. Our studies of the corrosion of steel by the anaerobic iron-cycling bacterium Geoalkalibacter ferrihydriticus at pH 9.5 in the absence of any organic matter have shown that this process is possible and can be accompanied by the active release of hydrogen. The formation of this gas can trigger the development of an authigenic anaerobic microflora that uses it as an electron donor and can negatively affect the insulating properties of the clay barrier through microbial metabolic activity.

Microbial Fe(III) reduction across a pH gradient: The impacts on secondary mineralization and microbial community development

Fe(III) (hydr)oxides are prevalent in natural environments where they impact contaminant mobility, greenhouse gas release, and nutrient cycling. In anoxic conditions, dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria (DIRB) and other microbial groups primarily drive Fe(III) reduction. Dissimilatory iron reduction (DIR) results in the reductive dissolution of Fe(III) phases and subsequent secondary mineralization. These processes are highly sensitive to pH changes, since protons serve as reactants in DIR. However, there is limited understanding of how DIR impacts secondary mineralization and microbial community development under relevant pH gradients. This study investigated the impact of initial pH (6.3, 6.9, 7.3, 7.7, 9) and Fe(III) source (goethite, lepidocrocite) on DIR, using acetate as the electron donor. The rate and extent of Fe(III) reduction decreased with increasing pH and that lepidocrocite, with its relatively lower crystallinity compared to goethite, supported greater DIR activity. Solid phase analyses revealed predominant formation of siderite alongside lepidocrocite reduction in microcosms with initial pH at 6.3 and 6.9. Similarly, in microcosms with initial pH at 7.3 and 7.7, partial transformation to siderite occurred. In contrast, goethite-amended microcosms did not show clear mineralogical transformations, despite the observed Fe(II) production. Microbial community analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing indicated greater enrichment of DIRB at lower pH, with a decline in abundance as pH increased. Overall, pH influenced DIR more than Fe mineralogy, highlighting its critical role in DIR processes, secondary mineral formation, and DIRB community development. This study further provides insights for developing remediation strategies involving microbial Fe(III) reduction under varying pH conditions.

Microbial ecology of serpentinite-hosted ecosystems

Serpentinization, the collective set of geochemical reactions initiated by the hydration of ultramafic rock, has occurred throughout Earth history and is inferred to occur on several planets and moons in our solar system. These reactions generate highly reducing conditions that can drive organic synthesis reactions potentially conducive to the emergence of life, while concomitantly generating fluids that challenge life owing to hyperalkalinity and limited inorganic carbon (and oxidant) availability. Consequently, the serpentinite-hosted biosphere offers insights into the earliest life, the habitable limits for life, and the potential for life on other planets. However, the support of abundant microbial communities by serpentinites was only recognized ~20 years ago with the discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents emanating serpentinized fluids. Here, we review the microbial ecology of both marine and continental serpentinization-influenced ecosystems in conjunction with a comparison of publicly available metagenomic sequence data from these communities to provide a global perspective of serpentinite microbial ecology. Synthesis of observations across global systems reveal consistent themes in the diversity, ecology, and functioning of communities. Nevertheless, individual systems exhibit nuances due to local geology, hydrology, and input of oxidized, near-surface/seawater fluids. Further, several new (and old) questions remain including the provenance of carbon to support biomass synthesis, the physical and chemical limits of life in serpentinites, the mode and tempo of in situ evolution, and the extent that modern serpentinites serve as analogs for those on early Earth. These topics are explored from a microbial perspective to outline key knowledge-gaps for future research.

Influence of microbial inoculation site on trichloroethylene degradation in electrokinetic-enhanced bioremediation of low-permeability soils

The integration of electrokinetic and bioremediation (EK-BIO) represents an innovative approach for addressing trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination in low-permeability soil. However, there remains a knowledge gap in the impact of the inoculation approach on TCE dechlorination and the microbial response with the presence of co-existing substances. In this study, four 1-dimensional columns were constructed with different inoculation treatments. Monitoring the operation conditions revealed that a stabilization period (∼40 days) was required to reduce voltage fluctuation. The group with inoculation into the soil middle (Group B) exhibited the highest TCE dechlorination efficiency, achieving a TCE removal rate of 84%, which was 1.1-3.2 fold higher compared to the others. Among degraded products in Group B, 39% was ethylene. The physicochemical properties of the post-soil at different regions illustrated that dechlorination coincided with the Fe(III) and SO42- reduction, meaning that the EK-BIO system promoted the formation of a reducing environment. Microbial community analysis demonstrated that Dehalococcoides was only detected in the treatment of injection at soil middle or near the cathode, with abundance enriched by 2.1%-7.2%. The principal components analysis indicated that the inoculation approach significantly affected the evolution of functional bacteria. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis demonstrated that Group B exhibited at least 2.8 and 4.2-fold higher copies of functional genes (tceA, vcrA) than those of other groups. In conclusion, this study contributes to the development of effective strategies for enhancing TCE biodechlorination in the EK-BIO system, which is particularly beneficial for the remediation of low-permeability soils.

Genomic Insights into Syntrophic Lifestyle of 'Candidatus Contubernalis alkaliaceticus' Based on the Reversed Wood-Ljungdahl Pathway and Mechanism of Direct Electron Transfer

The anaerobic oxidation of fatty acids and alcohols occurs near the thermodynamic limit of life. This process is driven by syntrophic bacteria that oxidize fatty acids and/or alcohols, their syntrophic partners that consume the products of this oxidation, and the pathways for interspecies electron exchange via these products or direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET). Due to the interdependence of syntrophic microorganisms on each other's metabolic activity, their isolation in pure cultures is almost impossible. Thus, little is known about their physiology, and the only available way to fill in the knowledge gap on these organisms is genomic and metabolic analysis of syntrophic cultures. Here we report the results of genome sequencing and analysis of an obligately syntrophic alkaliphilic bacterium 'Candidatus Contubernalis alkaliaceticus'. The genomic data suggest that acetate oxidation is carried out by the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, while a bimodular respiratory system involving an Rnf complex and a Na+-dependent ATP synthase is used for energy conservation. The predicted genomic ability of 'Ca. C. alkaliaceticus' to outperform interspecies electron transfer both indirectly, via H2 or formate, and directly, via pili-like appendages of its syntrophic partner or conductive mineral particles, was experimentally demonstrated. This is the first indication of DIET in the class Dethiobacteria.