Subject(s)
Acidithiobacillus/enzymology , Acidithiobacillus/growth & development , Clostridium/enzymology , Euryarchaeota/enzymology , Iron/metabolism , Sulfides/metabolism , Acidithiobacillus/genetics , Clostridium/genetics , Iron/chemistry , Oxidation-Reduction , Substrate Specificity , Sulfides/chemistryABSTRACT
Comparison of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains TFV-1 and TFBk with respect to their capacity to oxidize pyrite 1, with hole-type (p-type) conductivity, or pyrite 2, with an electron-type (n-type) conductivity, showed that, at a pulp density of 1%, both before and after its adaptation to the pyrites, strain TFBk, isolated from a substrate with a more complex mineral composition, grew faster and oxidized the pyrites of both conductivity types more efficiently than strain TFV-1, which was isolated from a mineralogically simple ore. At a pulp density of 3-5%, the oxidation of pyrite 1 by strain TFV-1 and both of the pyrites by strain TFBk began only after an artificial increase in Eh to 600 mV. If the pulp density was increased gradually, strain TFBk could oxidize the pyrites at its higher values than strain TFV-1, with the rate of pyrite 2 oxidation being higher than that of pyrite 1. During chemical oxidation of both of the pyrites, an increase was observed in the absolute values of the coefficients of thermoelectromotive force (KTEMF); during bacterial-chemical oxidation, the KTEMF of pyrite 1 changed insignificantly, whereas the KTEMF of pyrite 2 decreased.
Subject(s)
Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans/physiology , Iron/chemistry , Iron/metabolism , Sulfides/chemistry , Sulfides/metabolism , Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans/growth & development , Adaptation, Physiological , Electric Conductivity , Oxidation-ReductionABSTRACT
This study focused on the effect of physical, chemical, and electrophysical properties of two pyrites, pyrite 1, which had hole-type (p-type) conductivity, and pyrite 2, with electron-type (n-type) conductivity, on the genotypic characteristics of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains TFV-1 and TFBk, which were isolated from different substrates. After the adaptation of the strains to the pyrites at a pulp density of 1%, pulsed-field electrophoresis revealed changes in the chromosomal DNA of strain TFV-1 adapted to pyrite 1 and strain TFBk adapted to either of the pyrite types. In pyrite-adapted strain TFBk, the plasmid composition was the same as after growth on a medium containing ferrous iron, whereas, in strain TFV-1, changes in plasmid sizes or both in plasmid sizes and plasmid number occurred. After an increase in the density of the pyrite 2 pulp from 1 to 10%, the plasmid number increased from three to four, and, after an increase in the density of the pyrite 1 pulp from 1 to 7%, the plasmid number increased from two to six.
