Leptothrix species in aquatic environments produce uniquely shaped hollow microtubules composed of aquatic inorganic and bacterium-derived organic hybrids. Our group termed this biologically derived iron oxide as "biogenous iron oxide (BIOX)". The artificial synthesis of most industrial iron oxides requires massive energy and is costly while BIOX from natural environments is energy and cost effective. The BIOX microtubules could potentially be used as novel industrial functional resources for catalysts, adsorbents and pigments, among others if effective and efficient applications are developed. For these purposes, a reproducible system to regulate bacteria and their BIOX productivity must be established to supply a sufficient amount of BIOX upon industrial demand. However, the bacterial species and the mechanism of BIOX microtubule formation are currently poorly understood. In this study, a novel Leptothrix sp. strain designated OUMS1 was successfully isolated from ocherous deposits in groundwater by testing various culture media and conditions. Morphological and physiological characters and elemental composition were compared with those of the known strain L. cholodnii SP-6 and the differences between these two strains were shown. The successful isolation of OUMS1 led us to establish a basic system to accumulate biological knowledge of Leptothrix and to promote the understanding of the mechanism of microtubule formation. Additional geochemical studies of the OUMS1-related microstructures are expected provide an attractive approach to study the broad industrial application of bacteria-derived iron oxides.
In an aquatic environment, the genus Leptothrix produces an extracellular Fe- or Mn-encrusted tubular sheath composed of a complex hybrid of bacterial exopolymers and aqueous-phase inorganic elements. This ultrastructural study investigated initial assemblage of bacterial saccharic fibrils and subsequent deposition of aqueous-phase inorganic elements to form the immature sheath skeleton of cultured Leptothrix sp. strain OUMS1. After one day of culture, a globular and/or thread-like secretion was observed on the surface of the bacterial cell envelope, and secreted bodies were transported across the intervening space away from the cell to form an immature sheath skeleton comprising assembled and intermingled fibrils. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis and specific Bi-staining detected a distinguishable level of P, trace Si, and a notable amount of carbohydrates in the skeleton, but not Fe. By the second day, the skeleton was prominently thickened with an inner layer of almost parallel aligned fibrils, along with low level of Fe deposition, whereas an outer intermingled fibrous layer exhibited heavy deposition of Fe along with significant deposition of P and Si. These results indicate that basic sheath-construction proceeds in two steps under culture conditions: an initial assemblage of bacterial saccharic fibrils originated from the cell envelope and the subsequent deposition of aqueous-phase Fe, P, and Si
The so-called Fe/Mn-oxidizing bacteria have long been recognized for their potential to form extracellular iron hydroxide or manganese oxide structures in aquatic environments. Bacterial species belonging to the genus Gallionella, one type of such bacteria, oxidize iron and produce uniquely twisted extracellular stalks consisting of iron oxide-encrusted inorganic/organic fibers. This paper describes the ultrastructure of Gallionella cells and stalks and the visualized structural and spatial localization of constitutive elements within the stalks. Electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis showed the export site of the stalk fibers from the cell and the uniform distribution of iron, silicon, and phosphorous in the stalks. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy revealed that the stalk fibers had a central carbon core of bacterial exopolymers and that aquatic iron interacted with oxygen at the surface of the carbon core, resulting in deposition of iron oxides at the surface. This new knowledge of the structural and spatial associations of iron with oxygen and carbon provides deeper insights into the unique inorganic/organic hybrid structure of the stalks.Some microorganisms convert metal ions to their oxidized forms by enzymatic removal of electrons, causing physicochemical reactions associated with the resulting change of the local pH (19). The so-called Fe/Mn-oxidizing bacteria have long been recognized for their potential to form extracellular iron hydroxide or manganese oxide structures in aquatic environments (5,8,12,15,16,17). Bacteria belonging to the genus Gallionella are ubiquitous inhabitants of ocherous deposits that form in bodies of freshwater (5). They form a uniquely twisted extracellular iron oxide-encrusted bundle of fibers (commonly called a twisted stalk) (5). It is presently thought that the extracellular polysaccharides from the cell, which are the major organic components of the stalk, are closely linked with its mineralization by Fe, Si, and P (2, 4, 5, 7) and other minor elements (5). However, the structural origin and the presence of the stalk polysaccharides and the spatial association of elements within their structure remain unsolved in spite of a number of ultrastructural studies (2,7,11,14,18).Iron-oxidizing bacteria such as Gallionella, Leptothrix, Mariprofundus, and Rhodobacter (3,5,8,12,15,16,17), with the ability to form extracellular iron oxides, have evoked great interest in biological and geochemical fields of research. The potential for future industrial use of these biologically derived iron oxides clearly indicates the need for detailed systematic study of the interactions of the biological organics with the aquatic metals and minerals in the stalks. The aim of this study is to examine the ultrastructure of Gallionella cells and stalks and to define the structural and spatial localization of constitutive elements within the stalks. Our analyses included the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with energy-dispersive ...
The biogenous iron oxide (BIO) from Leptothrix ochracea was transformed to an organic-inorganic hybrid support to prepare an excellent immobilized enzyme showing high catalytic performance.
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