To identify the actual substrate of the glutathione-dependent sulfur dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.18) elemental sulfur oxidation of the meso-acidophilic Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans strains DSM 504 and K6, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain R1 and Acidiphilium acidophilum DSM 700 was analysed. Extraordinarily high specific sulfur dioxygenase activities up to 460 nmol x min(-1) (mg protein)(-1) w...

The iron-oxidizing species Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans is one of few acidophiles able to oxidize ferrous iron and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds at low temperatures (<10°C). To complete the genome of At. ferrivorans strain CF27, new sequences were generated, and an update assembly and functional annotation were undertaken, followed by a comparative analysis with other Acidithiobacillus sp...

The sulfur oxygenase reductase (Sor) catalyzes the oxygen dependent disproportionation of elemental sulfur, producing sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfide. Being considered an "archaeal like" enzyme, it is also encoded in the genomes of some acidophilic leaching bacteria such as Acidithiobacillus caldus, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans and Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxi...

Acidophile bacteria belonging to the Acidithiobacillus genus are pivotal players for the bioleaching of metallic values such as copper. Cell adherence to ores and biofilm formation, mediated by the production of extracellular polymeric substances, strongly favors bioleaching activity. In recent years, the second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) has emerged as a central regulator for biof...

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play important roles in regulating the dewaterability of sludge. This study sought to elucidate the influence of EPS on the dewaterability of sludge during bioleaching process. Results showed that, in bioleaching system with the co-inoculation of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans TS6 and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans LX5 (A. t+A. f system), the capillary su...

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ILS-2 was adapted in digested sludge and used to treat for dewaterability improvement. Results showed that increasing ferrous iron loading increased dewaterability, but the inoculation of bioleaching strain had little effect on compared controls without strain. The total extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) contents sludges with treatment were similar except a...

Microbial colonization on new terrestrial substrates represents the initiation of new soil ecosystem formation. In this study, we analyzed early bacterial communities growing on volcanic ash deposits derived from the 2000 Mount Oyama eruption on the island of Miyake (Miyake-jima), Japan. A site was established in an unvegetated area near the summit and investigated over a 6-year period from 200...

Following the trend of studies that investigate microbial ecosystems using different metagenomic techniques, we propose a new integrative systems ecology approach that aims to decipher functional roles within a consortium through the integration of genomic and metabolic knowledge at genome scale. For the sake of application, using public genomes of five bacterial strains involved in copper biol...

Microorganisms are dominant form of life on the Earth. It is necessary to enlarge the knowledge about them for more efficient use in all areas of biotechnology, medicine, ecology. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans are acidophilic chemolitoautothropfic bacteria, with capability to oxidize ferrous ions and used in waste water, tail gas treatment and bioleaching technologies. In appropriate condition...