scholarly journals Integrative analysis of the interactions between <i>Geobacter</i> spp. and sulfate-reducing bacteria during uranium bioremediation

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 11337-11357 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Barlett ◽  
K. Zhuang ◽  
R. Mahadevan ◽  
D. R. Lovley

Abstract. Enhancing microbial U(VI) reduction with the addition of organic electron donors is a promising strategy for immobilizing uranium in contaminated groundwaters, but has yet to be optimized because of a poor understanding of the factors controlling the growth of various microbial communities during bioremediation. In previous field trials in which acetate was added to the subsurface, there were two distinct phases: an initial phase in which acetate-oxidizing, U(VI)-reducing Geobacter predominated and U(VI) was effectively reduced and a second phase in which acetate-oxidizing sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) predominated and U(VI) reduction was poor. The interaction of Geobacter and SRB was investigated both in sediment incubations that mimicked in situ bioremediation and with in silico metabolic modeling. In sediment incubations, Geobacter grew quickly but then declined in numbers as the microbially reducible Fe(III) was depleted whereas the SRB grow more slowly and reached dominance after 30–40 days. Modeling predicted a similar outcome. Additional modeling in which the relative initial percentages of the Geobacter and SRB were varied indicated that there was little to no competitive interaction between Geobacter and SRB when acetate was abundant. Further simulations suggested that the addition of Fe(III) would revive the Geobacter, but have little to no effect on the SRB. This result was confirmed experimentally. The results demonstrate that it is possible to predict the impact of amendments on important components of the subsurface microbial community during groundwater bioremediation. The finding that Fe(III) availability, rather than competition with SRB, is the key factor limiting the activity of Geobacter during in situ uranium bioremediation will aid in the design of improved uranium bioremediation strategies.

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1033-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Barlett ◽  
K. Zhuang ◽  
R. Mahadevan ◽  
D. Lovley

Abstract. Enhancing microbial U(VI) reduction with the addition of organic electron donors is a promising strategy for immobilizing uranium in contaminated groundwaters, but has yet to be optimized because of a poor understanding of the factors controlling the growth of various microbial communities during bioremediation. In previous field trials in which acetate was added to the subsurface, there were two distinct phases: an initial phase in which acetate-oxidizing, U(VI)-reducing Geobacter predominated and U(VI) was effectively reduced and a second phase in which acetate-oxidizing sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) predominated and U(VI) reduction was poor. The interaction of Geobacter and SRB was investigated both in sediment incubations that mimicked in situ bioremediation and with in silico metabolic modeling. In sediment incubations, Geobacter grew quickly but then declined in numbers as the microbially reducible Fe(III) was depleted whereas the SRB grow more slowly and reached dominance after 30–40 days. Modeling predicted a similar outcome. Additional modeling in which the relative initial percentages of the Geobacter and SRB were varied indicated that there was little to no competitive interaction between Geobacter and SRB when acetate was abundant. Further simulations suggested that the addition of Fe(III) would revive the Geobacter, but have little to no effect on the SRB. This result was confirmed experimentally. The results demonstrate that it is possible to predict the impact of amendments on important components of the subsurface microbial community during groundwater bioremediation. The finding that Fe(III) availability, rather than competition with SRB, is the key factor limiting the activity of Geobacter during in situ uranium bioremediation will aid in the design of improved uranium bioremediation strategies.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 41-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Okabe ◽  
Hisashi Satoh ◽  
Tsukasa Itoh ◽  
Yoshimasa Watanabe

The vertical distribution of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in microaerophilic wastewater biofilms grown on fully submerged rotating disk reactors (RDR) was determined by the conventional culture-dependent MPN method and in situ hybridization of fluorescently-labelled 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for SRB in parallel. Chemical concentration profiles within the biofilm were also measured using microelectrodes for O2, S2-, NO3- and pH. In situ hybridization revealed that the SRB probe-stained cells were distributed throughout the biofilm even in the oxic surface zone in all states from single scattered cells to clustered cells. The higher fluorescence intensity and abundance of SRB probe-stained cells were found in the middle part of the biofilm. This result corresponded well with O2 and H2S concentration profiles measured by microelectrodes, showing sulfate reduction was restricted to a narrow anaerobic zone located about 500 μm below the biofilm surface. Results of the MPN and potential sulfate reducing activity (culture-dependent approaches) indicated a similar distribution of cultivable SRB in the biofilm. The majority of the general SRB probe-stained cells were hybridized with SRB 660 probe, suggesting that one important member of the SRB in the wastewater biofilm could be the genus Desulfobulbus. An addition of nitrate forced the sulfate reduction zone deeper in the biofilm and reduced the specific sulfate reduction rate as well. The sulfate reduction zone was consequently separated from O2 and NO3- respiration zones. Anaerobic H2S oxidation with NO3- was also induced by addition of nitrate to the medium.


2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 820-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Tonolla ◽  
Antonella Demarta ◽  
Sandro Peduzzi ◽  
Dittmar Hahn ◽  
Raffaele Peduzzi

ABSTRACT Comparative sequence analysis of a 16S rRNA gene clone library from the chemocline of the meromictic Lake Cadagno (Switzerland) retrieved two clusters of sequences resembling sulfate-reducing bacteria within the family Desulfovibrionaceae. In situ hybridization showed that, similar to sulfate-reducing bacteria of the familyDesulfobacteriaceae, bacteria of one cluster with similarity values to the closest cultured relatives of between 92.6 and 93.1% resembled free cells or cells loosely attached to other cells or debris. Bacteria of the second cluster closely related toDesulfocapsa thiozymogenes DSM7269 with similarity values between 97.9 and 98.4% were generally associated with aggregates of different small-celled phototrophic sulfur bacteria, suggesting a potential interaction between the two groups of bacteria.


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