Oxidation of Ferrous Iron and Elemental Sulfur by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) extracted from Thiobacillus ferrooxidans grown on ferrous iron, elemental sulfur, or glucose as energy source were studied for general chemical composition, toxicity, and antigenic or immunogenic properties. LPS from iron-grown cells (Fe-LPS) and from glucose-grown cells (Glu-LPS) had similar chemical composition, but that from sulfur-grown cells (S-LPS) differed significantly, especially in content of hexosamine, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, and heptose. All had weak to moderate endotoxic properties, but Fe-LPS was considerably more active than the others in the several assays performed. S-LPS was very weakly immunogenic; the other two stimulated strong antibody responses in rabbits. Immunodiffusion tests in agar gel revealed marked differences among the LPS antigens of cells grown with different energy sources.

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Scanning Electron Microscope Study of Bacteria on Mineral Surfaces

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100090634 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 130-131

Author(s):

V.K. Berry

Keyword(s):

Oxidation Reaction ◽

Electron Microscope Study ◽

Elemental Sulfur ◽

Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans ◽

Physical Contact ◽

Metal Sulfides ◽

Low Grade ◽

Mineral Surfaces ◽

Mineral Surface ◽

Scanning Electron Microscope Study

There are two strains of bacteria viz. Thiobacillus thiooxidansand Thiobacillus ferrooxidanswidely mentioned to play an important role in the leaching process of low-grade ores. Another strain used in this study is a thermophile and is designated Caldariella .These microorganisms are acidophilic chemosynthetic aerobic autotrophs and are capable of oxidizing many metal sulfides and elemental sulfur to sulfates and Fe2+ to Fe3+. The necessity of physical contact or attachment by bacteria to mineral surfaces during oxidation reaction has not been fairly established so far. Temple and Koehler reported that during oxidation of marcasite T. thiooxidanswere found concentrated on mineral surface. Schaeffer, et al. demonstrated that physical contact or attachment is essential for oxidation of sulfur.

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Growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans on various substrates

Canadian Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.1139/m69-024 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 135-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

C. J. M. McGoran ◽

D. W. Duncan ◽

C. C. Walden

Keyword(s):

Ferrous Iron ◽

Generation Time ◽

Bacterial Population ◽

Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans ◽

Growth Curves ◽

Insoluble Material ◽

Growth System ◽

Ph Range

When Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was grown on ferrous iron and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) in excess of 96% of the bacterial population was associated with the insoluble material. When sulfur was the substrate 77% of the bacteria were so associated. This necessitated consideration of the complete growth system to obtain accurate growth curves. By using total bacterial nitrogen as the measure of growth, it was shown that T. ferrooxidans had a minimum generation time of 6.5 to 10 hours on a ferrous iron substrate, 7 to 8 days on a sulfur substrate, and 14 to 17 hours on a chalcopyrite substrate. The pH range for growth was dependent on the substrate used.

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Sulfur-oxidizing enzyme of Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans (Thiobacillus ferrooxidans)

Canadian Journal of Biochemistry ◽

10.1139/o68-069 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 46 (5) ◽

pp. 457-461 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Marvin Silver ◽

D. G. Lundgren

Keyword(s):

Enzyme Preparation ◽

Elemental Sulfur ◽

Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans ◽

Reduced Glutathione ◽

Heme Iron ◽

Ph Optimum ◽

Non Heme Iron ◽

Sulfur Oxidizing

The sulfur-oxidizing enzyme was purified about 15-fold from sulfur-grown Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 7.8 and requires both elemental sulfur and reduced glutathione (GSH); however, a glutathione–polysulfide complex could also serve as substrate. The Km for GSH was determined to be 2 × 10−3 M. Non-heme iron and labile sulfide were present in the enzyme preparation, and sulfite was found to be the end product of the reaction.

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The production and utilization of intermediary elemental sulfur during the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

Archives of Microbiology ◽

10.1007/bf00408252 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 150 (6) ◽

pp. 574-579 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

W. Hazeu ◽

W. H. Batenburg-van der Vegte ◽

P. Bos ◽

R. K. van der Pas ◽

J. G. Kuenen

Keyword(s):

Elemental Sulfur ◽

Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans ◽

Sulfur Compounds ◽

Reduced Sulfur Compounds ◽

Reduced Sulfur

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Oxygen mass transfer requirements during ferrous iron oxidation by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans under controlled pH conditions

Biohydrometallurgy and the Environment Toward the Mining of the 21st Century - Proceedings of the International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium - Process Metallurgy ◽

10.1016/s1572-4409(99)80063-7 ◽

1999 ◽

pp. 617-623 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

V.B. Veljković ◽

D.S. Savić ◽

M.L. Lazić ◽

M.M. Vrvić

Keyword(s):

Mass Transfer ◽

Ferrous Iron ◽

Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans ◽

Iron Oxidation ◽

Oxygen Mass Transfer ◽

Ferrous Iron Oxidation ◽

Ph Conditions

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Effect of heavy metals on the ferrous iron oxidizing ability of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

Hydrometallurgy ◽

10.1016/s0304-386x(96)00030-8 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 44 (1-2) ◽

pp. 53-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

G.C. De ◽

D.J. Oliver ◽

B.M. Pesic

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Ferrous Iron ◽

Thiobacillus Ferrooxidans

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Existence of Ferrous Iron-Dependent Mercury Reducing Enzyme System in Sulfur-Grown A. Ferrooxidans MON-1 Cells

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.71-73.745 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 71-73 ◽

pp. 745-748

Author(s):

Tsuyoshi Sugio ◽

Taher M. Taha ◽

Atsunori Negishi ◽

Fumiaki Takeuchi

Keyword(s):

Cytochrome C ◽

Cytochrome C Oxidase ◽

Ferrous Iron ◽

Elemental Sulfur ◽

Enzyme System ◽

Mercury Resistance ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Medium Ph ◽

Methylmercury Chloride ◽

Mercury Reductase

Iron-grown Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans MON-1 cells are highly resistant to organomercurial compounds as well as mercuric chloride (HgCl2). Existence of a novel Hg2+-reducing enzyme system, in which mercury resistant aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase catalyzes the reduction of Hg2+ with reduced mammalian cytochrome c or Fe2+ as an electron donor to give Hg0, has been shown in iron-grown MON-1 cells. There has been no reports on the mechanism of Hg2+ reduction by sulfur-grown A. ferrooxidans cells. The level of mercury resistance in sulfur-grown A. ferrooxidans MON-1 cells was compared with that of iron-grown MON-1 cells. Strain MON-1 was able to grow in 1% elemental sulfur medium (pH 2.5) containing 10 μM of Hg2+ or 0.2 μM phenylmercury acetate (PMA), suggesting that the levels of mercury resistance to inorganic and organic mercurial compounds are nearly the same in iron- and sulfur-grown MON-1 cells. Activity levels of Hg0 volatilization from HgCl2, PMA, and methylmercury chloride (MMC) were also nearly the same in iron- and sulfur-grown cells and these activities were markedly activated by 100 mM of Fe2+, but strongly inhibited by 1 mM of sodium cyanide, indicating that sulfur-grown MON-1 cells has the activity of ferrous iron-dependent mercury reducing enzyme system containing aa3-type cytochrome oxidase. aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase purified partially from sulfur-grown MON-1 cells showed both the iron oxidase and mercury reductase activities in the presence, but not in the absence, of rusticyanin and c-type cytochromes (Cyc1 and Cyc2) partially purified from iron-grown MON-1 cells.

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