Composition and Niche-Specific Characteristics of Microbial Consortia Colonizing Marsberg Copper Mine in the Rhenish Massif

Abstract

Abstract. The Kilianstollen Marsberg (Rhenish Massif, Germany) has been extensively mined for copper ores, dating from Early Medieval Period till 1945. The exposed organic-rich alum shale rocks influenced by the diverse mine drainages at an ambient temperature of 10 °C could naturally enrich biogeochemically distinct heavy metal resistant microbiota. This metagenomic study evaluates the microbially colonized subterranean rocks of the abandoned copper mine Kilianstollen to characterize the colonization patterns and biogeochemical pathways of individual microbial groups. Under the selective pressure of the heavy metal contaminated environment at illuminated sites, Chloroflexi (Ktedonobacteria) and Cyanobacteria (Oxyphotobacteria) build up whitish-greenish biofilms. In contrast, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria dominate rocks around the uncontaminated spring water streams. The metagenomic analysis revealed that the heavy metal resistant microbiome was evidently involved in redox cycling of transition metals (Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cd, Hg). No deposition of metals or minerals, though, was observed by transmission electron microscopy in Ktedonobacteria biofilms which may be indicative for the presence of different detoxification pathways. The underlying heavy metal resistance mechanisms, as revealed by analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes, were mainly attributed to transition metal efflux pumps, redox enzymes, volatilization of Hg0, methylated intermediates of As(III) and reactive oxygen species detoxification pathways.

Detection of some Biological Parameters and Heavy Metals Presence in Tigris River Water by Novel Designed Bacterial Efflux Pump Genes

“…Recently, heavy metals were studied by many researchers as indicators of a multi-metal-Iraqi Journal of Industrial Research (IJOIR) Journal homepage: http://ijoir.gov.iq contaminated environment, or they could be useful for remediation [5]. However, few studies have investigated correlations between water quality standards and heavy metals in river water, besides the estimation of genetic variations of aquatic microorganisms in lakes or rivers to minimize the overall costs and time of water quality approaches [6]. The purpose of this work is to determine whether the Tigris River and Enterobacteriaceae, especially Klebsiella pneumoniae, have efflux pump genes.…”