Insights into the iron and sulfur energetic metabolism of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans by microarray transcriptome profiling

Differential expression of two bc 1 complexes in the strict acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans suggests a model for their respective roles in iron or sulfur oxidation

“…Data from primer extension, Northern blotting and realtime PCR experiments (Figs 2 and 3, Table 2) and preliminary transcriptome analysis (Quatrini et al, 2006) demonstrate that petI and petII are differentially transcribed depending on the growth conditions. The petI operon is principally transcribed only when ferrous iron is provided in the growth medium as an energy and electron source.…”

Closing the Loop: Key Role of Iron in Metal-Bearing Waste Recycling

“…It was generally accepted that sulphur is a main source of energy for their metabolism [26]. However, nowadays it seems that the iron is much more important in metabolisms of those bacteria [27]. Even so important that acidophilic bacteria are considered to be main producers of acidic conditions in nature [5].…”

The Catalytic Role of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans for Metals Extraction from Mining - Metallurgical Resource

“…Oxidation products then chemically attack the metal sulfides, which leads to solubilization of metal ore, and removal of sulfur. 29 The oxidation of sulfur to sulfuric acid produces a strongly acidified environment. 31 When A. ferrooxidans grows under anaerobic conditions, it accelerates the dissolution of the ferric iron oxy-hydroxide by oxidation of elemental sulfur, which is a common reduction of iron.…”