Physiology and taxonomy of Thiobacillus strain TJ330, which oxidizes carbon disulphide (CS2)

Abstract

A bacterium (strain TJ330) capable of using carbon disulphide (CS 2 ) as its sole energy source in an acidic environment was isolated from a peat bio®lter used in experiments to remove CS 2 and hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) from air. Its physiology and taxonomy are described here. The strain oxidized CS 2 , H 2 S and elemental sulphur to sulphate chemolithotrophically. The rate of sulphate production was highest at pH 2. The maximum growth rate constant (m max ) using CS 2 as a substrate was 3Á9 Â 10 À2 h À1 (generation time 18 h) and the Monod constant (K s ) was 0Á97±2Á6 mmol l À1 CS 2 (74±198 mg l À1 ), corresponding to an equilibrium with 15±40 ppm CS 2 in the headspace. The optimum growth temperature using elemental sulphur as a substrate was 28 C. The strain bears morphological and physiological similarities to Thiobacillus thiooxidans, but the latter is incapable of oxidizing CS 2 . The strain TJ330 (DSM 8985) showed only 44Á2 11Á8% DNA homology with the type strain T. thiooxidans ATCC 19377, while its homology with T. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 was 17Á1 3Á4%. The strain TJ 330 represents a high-af®nity bacterium which can effectively remove low CS 2 concentrations in an acid environment. These properties can be utilized in biotechnological puri®cation applications.

Diversity and Ecophysiology of New Isolates of Extremely Acidophilic CS 2 -Converting Acidithiobacillus Strains

“…We also observed fungal growth at 6% H 2 SO 4 (pH Ϫ0.05) in our enrichment cultures but did not further investigate the species present in these cultures. With growth at pH as low as Ϫ0.05 (6% H 2 SO 4 ), the new Acidithiobacillus isolates obtained in this research exceed the previously reported pH limit of 0.5 for microbial CS 2 conversion for Acidithiobacillus TJ330 (9).…”

“…Furthermore, the enrichments and isolated Acidithiobacillus strains could grow at very high H 2 SO 4 concentrations. The only acidophilic CS 2 -converting Acidithiobacillus strain described to date, TJ330, was isolated from an acidic (pH 6.1 to 1.4) CS 2 -and H 2 S-treating peat biofilter (9). The neutrophilic CS 2 -converting species Paracoccus denitrificans was isolated from oak leaves and soil beneath the leaf canopy (7,27).…”

“…Thus far, only one CS 2 -utilizing species (Thiobacillus sp. strain TJ330, DSM8985) capable of growth under acidic conditions (as low as pH 0.5) has been described (9). The only reported screening of 10 (Acidi)thiobacillus strains showed that CS 2 conversion is not a general trait of (acidi)thiobacilli (4).…”

Bacterial CS2 Hydrolases from Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Strains Are Homologous to the Archaeal Catenane CS2 Hydrolase

“…Several bacterial species that can grow chemolithoautotrophically on CS 2 at neutral pH have been identified from soil, sludge, and freshwater habitats (8)(9)(10)(11)(12). At acidic pH, so far only some (Acidi)thiobacillus strains, isolated from hot springs and volcanic areas, were shown to be able to use CS 2 (8,13). Acidophilic Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans strains are currently in use in biotrickling filters (6,(14)(15)(16), due to the inherent acidification of the trickling filter upon growth on CS 2 .…”

Experimental study on retardation of a heavy NAPL vapor in partially saturated porous media

“…The mean degradation rates ranged from 0.12 to 1.28 mg h −1 depending on the CS 2 mass flux applied in the experiments. Microbial degradation of CS 2 under aerobic and anaerobic conditions has been studied in the field of waste-gas treatment (e.g., Smith and Kelly, 1988;Hartikainen et al, 2000;Pol et al, 2007). They found microbes of the Thiobacillus species able to oxidize CS 2 under certain conditions.…”