Morphology-tunable tellurium nanomaterials produced by the tellurite-reducing bacterium Lysinibacillus sp. ZYM-1

Abstract

Although tellurite is highly toxic to organisms, elemental tellurium nanomaterials (TeNMs) have many uses. The microbe-mediated reduction of tellurite to Te(0) has been shown to be a green and cost-effective approach for turning waste into wealth. However, it is difficult to tune the morphology of biogenic nanomaterials. In this study, a series of experiments was conducted to investigate the factors influencing tellurite reduction by the tellurite-reducing bacterium Lysinibacillus sp. ZYM-1, including pH, tellurite concentration, temperature, and heavy metal ions. The optimal removal efficiency of tellurite was respectively achieved at pH 8, 0.5 mM tellurite, and 40 °C. All of the tested metal ions retarded the reduction of tellurite, especially Cd and Co, which completely inhibited its reduction. Further characterization of the biogenic TeNMs indicated that their morphology could be tuned by the tellurite concentration, pH, temperature, and organic solvents used. Regular Te nanosheets were produced using 5 mM tellurite. The TeNMs were primarily synthesized in the cell membrane. Hexagonal Te nanoplates, nanorods, nanoflowers, and nanobranches were synthesized when combining membrane fractions with tellurite and NADH. The diverse morphologies are assumed to be induced by the synergy between the reduction kinetics and the protein structure. Therefore, this study confirmed that the bacterium can tune the morphology of TeNMs, broadening the potential application of biogenic TeNMs.

Potential of tellurite resistance in heterotrophic bacteria from mining environments

“…Most show a clear indication of the formation of Te (0) aggregates with different levels of structural organization. The formation of different structures of aggregates is indicative of different metabolic mechanisms involved in the formation of said structures, as is observed in previous works ( Wang et al., 2018 ). The strain B. altitudinis 3W19 appears to produce two morphologically distinct Te-containing structures.…”

Simultaneous bioremediation of phenol and tellurite by Lysinibacillus sp. EBL303 and characterization of biosynthesized Te nanoparticles

“…In some similar studies, MICs of 5 mM in Lysinibacillus sp. 34 , 6 mM in Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes 40 , 12 mM in Salinicoccus sp. 41 , and 13 mM in Escherichia sp.…”

“…EBL303. As far as we are aware, only one research has reported the Lysinibacillus genus's ability in tellurite reduction 34 , despite the fact that the phenol degradation ability of this genus is well known [35][36][37] .…”

Impact of Tellurite on the Metabolism of Paenibacillus pabuli AL109b With Flagellin Production Explaining High Reduction Capacity

“…Bioreduction is a relevant biotechnological characteristic to determine, as varies among different organisms; therefore, for new bacterial strains, the reduction efficiency should be determined. The bioreduction to Te can lead to the formation of nanostructures ( Baesman et al, 2007 ; Zare et al, 2012 ; Presentato et al, 2016 ; Wang et al, 2018 ). As verified for other metals, the formation of Te-containing intra-/extra-cellular nanostructures can be monitored by following the bioreduction process.…”