Thiobacillus thiooxidans cells became more hydrophobic but less adhesive to elemental sulfur in the presence of increasing potassium phosphate concentrations. At a fixed concentration of potassium phosphate, however, there was a peak of both cell hydrophobicity and adhesion to sulfur at around pH 5. Oxidation of sulfur by the cells was affected in a complex manner by the phosphate concentration...

The passage of water through certain bituminous coal mines results in a solution which is extremely acid in reaction because of its high content of ferrous sulfate, some aluminum sulfate, and lesser amounts of manganese sulfate. The ferrous iron is subsequently rapidly oxidized to the ferric state by an autotrophic bacterium. Autotrophic bacteria have also been implicated in the formation of th...

The growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans on sulphur is known to proceed through the attachment of cells to the sulphur particles. Experiments, However, show that the cells in the liquid phase, which are not attached to the sulphur particles, also grow. It has been shown through the use of a two-compartment membrane reactor that this increase is partially due to the release of ions, corresponding...

The cytoplasmic buffering capacity of Thiobacillus acidophilus (along with membrane properties) is responsible for the cytoplasmic pH homeostasis in metabolically compromised cells. When a large influx of H+ occurs, the cytoplasmic buffering capacity prevents drastic changes in pH; in addition, this influx, by increasing the positive membrane potential, eventually leads to a cessation of furthe...

Fifty mesophilic and five moderately thermophilic strains of acidophilic heterotrophic bacteria were tested for the ability to reduce ferric iron in liquid and solid media under aerobic conditions; about 40% of the mesophiles (but none of the moderate thermophiles) displayed at least some capacity to reduce iron. Both rates and extents of ferric iron reduction were highly strain dependent. No a...

The growth yield of Thiobacillus intermedius is greater in glucose-yeast extract or glucose-casein hydrolysate broth than in comparable media without glucose. The quantity of glucose utilized in the glucose-supplemented media is much greater than the increase in cell yield observed relative to the unsupplemented media. Addition of glucose to cell-free extracts of glucose-yeast extract or glucos...

A specific and very sensitive dot-immunobinding assay for the detection and enumeration of the bioleaching microorganism Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was developed. Nitrocellulose spotted with samples was incubated with polyclonal antisera against whole T. ferrooxidans cells and then in I-labeled protein A or I-labeled goat antirabbit immunoglobulin G; incubation was followed by autoradiography. S...