Biological materials formed by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and their potential applications

Abstract

A variety of biological materials including schwertmannite, jarosite, iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) and magnetosomes can be produced by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans). Their possible formation mechanisms involved in iron transformation, iron transport, and electron transfer were proposed. The schwertmannite formation usually occurs under the pH of 2.0-3.51, and a lower or higher pH will promote jarosite to be produced. Available Fe 2+ in the environment and the carrier proteins that can transport Fe 2+ to the intracellular membranes of A. ferrooxidans play a critical role in the synthesis of magnetosomes and ISC. The potential applications of these biological materials were reviewed, including removal of heavy metal by schwertmannite, detoxification of toxic species by jarosite, the transference of electron and ripening the iron sulfur protein by ISC, and biomedical application of magnetosomes. Additionally, some perspectives for the molecular mechanisms of synthesis and regulation of these biomaterials were briefly described.

Phenomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal the sequential synthesis of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans BYM

“…Thus, Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles coated with lipid bilayers possibly produced from many factories associated with the membrane in A. ferrooxidans BYM even though it does not contain MAI in the genome ( 23 , 72 ). Herein, on the basis of the findings in the present study and the results of previous research ( 23 , 40 ), we hypothesized that Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle synthesis in A. ferrooxidans BYM is a complex sequential process mediated by several proteins ( Fig. 8 ).…”

“…S3). It has been reported that the formation of magnetic nanoparticles in A. ferrooxidans and MTB involved the uptake and transport of iron, the change of membrane structure, and oxidation-reduction process ( 40 ). The genome of A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 contains several open reading frames with high similarity to magnetosome genes of MTB, such as mpsA , mamE , mamB , and magA , which are associated with magnetosome membrane formation, oxidation-reduction process, iron transport, and iron uptake, respectively ( 23 ).…”

“…Therefore, the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle synthesis of A. ferrooxidans BYM seems to involve the processes of membrane formation, iron transportation and redox control, etc. ( 40 ). However, more data are needed to explain the accurate process of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle synthesis in A. ferrooxidans BYM.…”

“…7 ). The Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticle synthesis in A. ferrooxidans requires a large amount of iron, so the uptake and transport of Fe(II)/Fe(III) are the most critical process ( 40 ). K7B00_08905 encoding TonB-dependent ferric transport, and the K7B00_06955 encoding Fe(II) NRAMP transporter (MntH), might closely perform the function of Fe(III) and Fe(II) transport ( 59 , 60 ).…”

“…Energy is indispensable to cell uptake and transport of metal ions ( 40 ). We found that some genes might be related to energy generation during the synthesis of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles, including K7B00_11115, K7B00_05790, K7B00_01245, K7B00_06220, K7B00_12700, and K7B00_13060.…”