Bacterial Membrane Vesicles as a Novel Strategy for Extrusion of Antimicrobial Bismuth Drug in Helicobacter pylori.

Bacterial antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human health. A combination of antibiotics with metals is among the proposed alternative treatments. Only one such combination is successfully used in clinics; it associates antibiotics with the metal bismuth to treat infections by Helicobacter pylori. This bacterial pathogen colonizes the human stomach and is associated with gastric cancer, killing 800,000 individuals yearly. The effect of bismuth in H. pylori treatment is not well understood in particular for sublethal doses such as those measured in the plasma of treated patients. We addressed this question and observed that bismuth induces the formation of homogeneously sized membrane vesicles (MVs) with unique protein cargo content enriched in bismuth-binding proteins, as shown by quantitative proteomics. Purified MVs of bismuth-exposed bacteria were strongly enriched in bismuth as measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), unlike bacterial cells from which they originate. Thus, our results revealed a novel function of MVs in bismuth detoxification, where secreted MVs act as tool to discard bismuth from the bacteria. Bismuth also induces the formation of intracellular polyphosphate granules that are associated with changes in nucleoid structure. Nucleoid compaction in response to bismuth was established by immunogold electron microscopy and refined by the first chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) analysis of H. pylori. Our results reveal that even low doses of bismuth induce profound changes in H. pylori physiology and highlight a novel defense mechanism that involves MV-mediated bismuth extrusion from the bacteria and a probable local DNA protective response where polyphosphate granules are associated with nucleoid compaction. IMPORTANCE Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major threat to human health. Treatments combining antibiotics with metals were proposed to circumvent this hurdle. Only one such combination is successfully used in clinics associating antibiotics with the metal bismuth to treat infections by the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori causes 800,000 deaths by gastric cancer yearly. How bismuth impacts H. pylori and its response to this toxic metal were ill defined. We discovered that upon bismuth exposure, H. pylori secretes membrane vesicles that are enriched in bismuth. Bismuth also induces the formation of intracellular polyphosphate granules associated with compaction of the chromosome. Upon bismuth exposure, H. pylori displays both defense and protection mechanisms, with bismuth extrusion by vesicles and shielding of the chromosome.

Nickel, an essential virulence determinant of Helicobacter pylori: Transport and trafficking pathways and their targeting by bismuth.

Metal acquisition and intracellular trafficking are crucial for all cells and metal ions have been recognized as virulence determinants in bacterial pathogens. Nickel is required for the pathogenicity of H. pylori. This bacterial pathogen colonizes the stomach of about half of the human population worldwide and is associated with gastric cancer that is responsible for 800,000 deaths per year. H. pylori possesses two nickel-enzymes that are essential for in vivo colonization, a [NiFe] hydrogenase and an abundant urease responsible for resistance to gastric acidity. Because of these two enzymes, survival of H. pylori relies on an important supply of nickel, implying tight control strategies to avoid its toxic accumulation or deprivation. H. pylori possesses original mechanisms for nickel uptake, distribution, storage and trafficking that will be discussed in this review. During evolution, acquisition of nickel transporters and specific nickel-binding proteins has been a decisive event to allow Helicobacter species to become able to colonize the stomach. Accordingly, many of the factors involved in these mechanisms are required for mouse colonization by H. pylori. These mechanisms are controlled at different levels including protein interaction networks, transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation. Bismuth is another metal used in combination with antibiotics to efficiently treat H. pylori infections. Although the precise mode of action of bismuth is unknown, many targets have been identified in H. pylori and there is growing evidence that bismuth interferes with the essential nickel pathways. Understanding the metal pathways will help improve treatments against H. pylori and other pathogens.

Integration of IR-808 and thiol-capped Au-Bi bimetallic nanoparticles for NIR light mediated photothermal/photodynamic therapy and imaging.

Near infrared (NIR) light detonated phototherapy for cancer treatment based on photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted increasing attention owing to its deep tissue penetration. However, the low absorption ability and therapeutic efficiency of the photosensitive drug have restricted the development of phototherapy to a great degree. Herein, a kind of IR808 dye sensitized glutathione (GSH) cladded Au-Bi bimetallic nanoparticles (Au-Bi-GSH@IR808) was prepared to enhance the inhibition effect of tumors. In this nanoplatform, the construction of GSH cladded Au-Bi bimetallic nanoparticles can effectively generate 1O2 while exhibiting outstanding photothermal conversion efficiency (η = 34.2%) upon 808 nm laser irradiation. Furthermore, IR808 as a small molecule dye endows the Au-Bi-GSH@IR808 with a higher 808 nm light absorption ability and stronger photothermal and photodynamic effects. The IR808 sensitized Au-Bi bimetallic nanoparticles with a small size (5 nm), hydrophilia and dispersible nature, exhibit a noticeably enhanced therapeutic peculiarity. Additionally, the prominent CT imaging property of Au-Bi-GSH@IR808 means it is expected to be used as a CT imaging contrast agent in clinical applications. The results of the in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that the synthesized nanoparticles have an excellent ablation effect on cancer cells, and they are expected to be widely used in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

pH dependence of the non-cooperative binding of Bi3+ to human apo-metallothionein 1A: kinetics, speciation, and stoichiometry.

Bismuth is a well-known therapeutic agent that is used primarily for treatment against peptic ulcers. It has also had success in protecting against nephrotoxicity caused by the anticancer compound cisplatin by inducing the liver and kidney metalloprotein, metallothionein (MT) that then binds to the cisplatin. MT is a small, ubiquitous protein that binds monovalent, divalent, and trivalent metals using its abundant cysteine thiols (20 cysteines in the mammalian protein). It is important in the understanding of both these therapeutic applications to explore in detail the earliest stages of MT binding to bismuth salts. In this paper, we explored the binding of [Bi(cit)]- and [Bi(EDTA)]- to apo-MT 1a as the most basic of binding motifs. It was found that both Bi3+ salts bound in a non-cooperative stepwise manner to terminal cysteinal thiolates at pH 2.6, 5.0, and 7.4. We report that [Bi(EDTA)]- only binds stepwise up to Bi6MT, whereas [Bi(cit)]- forms up to Bi8MT, where the 7th and 8th Bi3+ appear to be adducts. Stepwise speciation analysis provided the 7 binding constants that decreased systematically from K1 to K7 indicating a non-cooperative binding profile. They are reported as log K1 = 27.89, log K2 = 27.78, log K3 = 27.77, log K4 = 27.62, log K5 = 27.32, log K6 = 26.75, and log K7 = 26.12, with log K[Bi(cit)]- determined to be 24.17. Cysteine modifications with benzoquinone and iodoacetamide revealed that when apoMT is fully metallated with Bi3+ there are two free cysteines, meaning 18 cysteines are used in binding the 6 Bi3+. Kinetic studies showed that [Bi(EDTA)]- binds very slowly at pH 2.6 (k = 0.0290 × 106 M-1 s-1) and approximately 2000 times faster at pH 7.4 (k = 66.5 × 106 M-1 s-1). [Bi(cit)]- binding at pH 2.6 was faster than [Bi(EDTA)]- (k = 672 × 106 M-1 s-1) at either pH level. The data strongly support a non-clustered binding motif, emphasizing the non-traditional pathway reported previously for As3+.

Platelet-membrane-camouflaged bismuth sulfide nanorods for synergistic radio-photothermal therapy against cancer.

Bismuth-containing nanoparticles (BNPs) are potential enhancers for tumor radiotherapy. Improving the bioavailability and developing synergistic therapeutic regimens benefit the drug transformation of BNPs. In the present study, we prepare a mesoporous silica-coated bismuth nanorod (BMSNR) camouflaged by a platelet membrane (PM). This biomimetic material is termed BMSNR@PM. The PM camouflage enhances the immune escape of the BMSNRs by lowering endocytosis by macrophages in the reticuloendothelial system. Additionally, the PM camouflage strengthens the material tumor-targeting capacity and leads to better radiotherapeutic efficacy compared with bare BMSNRs. Owing to the photothermal effect, BMSNR@PMs alters the cell cycle of 4T1 cancer cells post-treatment with 808 nm near-infrared irradiation (NIR). The proportions of S phase and G2/M phase cells decrease and increase, respectively, which explains the synergistic effect of NIR on BMSNR@PM-based radiotherapy. BMSNR@PMs efficiently eradicates cancer cells by the combined action of photothermal therapy (PTT) and radiotherapy in vivo and markedly improves the survival of 4T1-tumor-bearing mice. The synergistic therapeutic effect is superior to the outcomes of PTT and radiotherapy performed alone. Our study demonstrates a versatile bismuth-containing nanoplatform with tumor-targeting, immune escape, and radiosensitizing functionalities using an autologous cell membrane biomimetic concept that may promote the development of radiotherapy enhancers.

Antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities of Bi subnitrate and BiNPs produced by Delftia sp. SFG against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis.

In the present study Delftia sp. Shakibaie, Forootanfar, and Ghazanfari (SFG), was applied for preparation of biogenic Bi nanoparticles (BiNPs) and antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of the purified BiNPs were investigated by microdilution and disc diffusion methods. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the produced nanostructures were spherical with a size range of 40-120 nm. The measured minimum inhibitory concentration of both the Bi subnitrate and BiNPs against three biofilms producing bacterial pathogens of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis were found to be above 1280 µg/ml. Addition of BiNPs (1000 µg/disc) to antibiotic discs containing tobramycin, nalidixic acid, ceftriaxone, bacitracin, cefalexin, amoxicillin, and cefixime significantly increased the antibacterial effects against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in comparison with Bi subnitrate (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the biogenic BiNPs decreased the biofilm formation of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and P. mirabilis to 55, 85, and 15%, respectively. In comparison to Bi subnitrate, BiNPs indicated significant anti-biofilm activity against P. aeruginosa (p < 0.05) while the anti-biofilm activity of BiNPs against S. aureus and P. mirabilis was similar to that of Bi subnitrate. To sum up, the attained results showed that combination of biogenic BiNPs with commonly used antibiotics relatively enhanced their antibacterial effects against MRSA.

Fabrication of visible-light-driven silver iodide modified iodine-deficient bismuth oxyiodides Z-scheme heterojunctions with enhanced photocatalytic activity for Escherichia coli inactivation and tetracycline degradation.

At present, various organic pollutants and pathogenic microorganisms presented in wastewater have severely threatened aquatic ecosystem and human health. Meanwhile, semiconductor photocatalysis technology for water purification has attracted increasingly significant attention. Herein, we successfully constructed a series of novel visible-light-driven (VLD) Bi4O5I2/AgI hybrid photocatalysts with different AgI amounts. Compared with pristine AgI and Bi4O5I2, Bi4O5I2/AgI with the optimal AgI contents exhibited remarkably enhanced photocatalytic performance in probe experiment for Escherichia coli (E. coli) disinfection and tetracycline (TC) degradation. The efficiency for TC degradation and E. coli inactivation reached 82% and 100% in 30 min, respectively. The enhanced electron-hole separation efficiency was responsible for improved photocatalytic activity. In addition, the destruction process of the chemical structure of TC molecules was further investigated by three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectra (3D EEMs). The activity and crystal phase of the catalysts did not change significantly after four cycles, demonstrating their excellent recyclability and stability of catalysts. The Ag+ ion leaking experiments, radical trapping experiments and ESR tests demonstrated that OH, O2- and h+ were the main active species in photocatalytic disinfection processes. Furthermore, the photocatalytic mechanism of Bi4O5I2/AgI nanomaterials was discussed in detail in conjunction with the energy band structure, and a reasonable Z-scheme interfacial charge transfer mechanism was proposed. This work is expected to provide an efficient water disinfection method.

Bismuth antimicrobial drugs serve as broad-spectrum metallo-ß-lactamase inhibitors.

Drug-resistant superbugs pose a huge threat to human health. Infections by Enterobacteriaceae producing metallo-ß-lactamases (MBLs), e.g., New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) are very difficult to treat. Development of effective MBL inhibitors to revive the efficacy of existing antibiotics is highly desirable. However, such inhibitors are not clinically available till now. Here we show that an anti-Helicobacter pylori drug, colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS), and related Bi(III) compounds irreversibly inhibit different types of MBLs via the mechanism, with one Bi(III) displacing two Zn(II) ions as revealed by X-ray crystallography, leading to the release of Zn(II) cofactors. CBS restores meropenem (MER) efficacy against MBL-positive bacteria in vitro, and in mice infection model, importantly, also slows down the development of higher-level resistance in NDM-1-positive bacteria. This study demonstrates a high potential of Bi(III) compounds as the first broad-spectrum B1 MBL inhibitors to treat MBL-positive bacterial infection in conjunction with existing carbapenems.

Renal-Clearable Hollow Bismuth Subcarbonate Nanotubes for Tumor Targeted Computed Tomography Imaging and Chemoradiotherapy.

Although metallic nanomaterials with high X-ray attenuation coefficients have been widely used as X-ray computed tomography (CT) contrast agents, their intrinsically poor biodegradability requires them to be cleared from the body to avoid any potential toxicity. On the other hand, extremely small-sized nanomaterials with outstanding renal clearance properties are not much effective for tumor targeting because of their too rapid clearance in vivo. To overcome this dilemma, here we report on the hollow bismuth subcarbonate nanotubes (BNTs) assembled from renal-clearable ultrasmall bismuth subcarbonate nanoclusters for tumor-targeted imaging and chemoradiotherapy. The BNTs could be targeted to tumors with high efficiency and exhibit a high CT contrast effect. Moreover, simultaneous radio- and chemotherapy using drug-loaded BNTs could significantly suppress tumor volumes, highlighting their potential application in CT imaging-guided therapy. Importantly, the elongated nanotubes could be disassembled into isolated small nanoclusters in the acidic tumor microenvironment, accelerating the payload release and kidney excretion. Such body clearable CT contrast agent with high imaging performance and multiple therapeutic functions shall have a substantial potential for biomedical applications.

Response of anaerobic membrane bioreactor to the presence of nano-Bi2WO6: reactor performance, supernatant characteristics, and microbial community.

Considering the increasing incorporation of manufactured nano-material into consumer products, there is a concern about its potential impacts in biological wastewater treatment. In this study, the response of anaerobic sludge to the presence of Bi2WO6 nano-particles (NPs) was investigated in the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). As the concentration of Bi2WO6 in the reactor was controlled around 1 mg/L, there was no significant difference in effluent water quality or bacterial activities before and after NP exposure, partially due to the microbial-induced NP aggregation and stable complex formation. However, with the increasing dosage of Bi2WO6 from 5 to 40 mg/L, great influences on the AnMBR performance were observed, including the reduction of COD removal efficiency, inhibition of the mechanization step, increased production of soluble microbial products, and enhanced secretion of extracellular polymer substrates. Additional investigation with high-throughput sequencing was conducted, clearly demonstrating that Bi2WO6 NPs induced changes in the bacterial community.

The proteins of Fusobacterium spp. involved in hydrogen sulfide production from L-cysteine.

BACKGROUND: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic foul-smelling gas produced by subgingival biofilms in patients with periodontal disease and is suggested to be part of the pathogenesis of the disease. We studied the H2S-producing protein expression of bacterial strains associated with periodontal disease. Further, we examined the effect of a cysteine-rich growth environment on the synthesis of intracellular enzymes in F. nucleatum polymorphum ATCC 10953. The proteins were subjected to one-dimensional (1DE) and two-dimensional (2DE) gel electrophoresis An in-gel activity assay was used to detect the H2S-producing enzymes; Sulfide from H2S, produced by the enzymes in the gel, reacted with bismuth forming bismuth sulfide, illustrated as brown bands (1D) or spots (2D) in the gel. The discovered proteins were identified with liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS: Cysteine synthase and proteins involved in the production of the coenzyme pyridoxal 5'phosphate (that catalyzes the production of H2S) were frequently found among the discovered enzymes. Interestingly, a higher expression of H2S-producing enzymes was detected from bacteria incubated without cysteine prior to the experiment. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous enzymes, identified as cysteine synthase, were involved in the production of H2S from cysteine and the expression varied among Fusobacterium spp. and strains. No enzymes were detected with the in-gel activity assay among the other periodontitis-associated bacteria tested. The expression of the H2S-producing enzymes was dependent on environmental conditions such as cysteine concentration and pH but less dependent on the presence of serum and hemin.

Synthesis, crystal structure and spectroscopic studies of bismuth(III) complex with 2-substituted benzimidazole ligands.

Reaction of BiCl3 with 2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)benzimidazole (HL) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) under reflux gave mononuclear complex of formula [Bi(HL)2Cl3·H2O]. The binding interaction of the complex with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated using the fluorescence quenching method. The experimental results showed that the complex could bind to BSA in the proportion of about 1:1. The binding reaction was spontaneous and hydrophobic force played major role in the reaction. The binding of the complex to BSA could change the microenvironment and conformation of BSA.

Biosynthesis of Fluorescent Bi2S3 Nanoparticles and their Application as Dual-Function SPECT-CT Probe for Animal Imaging.

Bismuth sulphide (Bi2S3) is an excellent semiconductor and its nanoparticles have numerous significant applications including photovoltaic materials, photodiode arrays, bio-imaging, etc. Nevertheless, these nanoparticles when fabricated by chemical and physical routes tend to easily aggregate in colloidal solutions, are eco-unfriendly, cumbrous and very broad in size distribution. The aim of the present manuscript was to ecologically fabricate water dispersible, safe and stable Bi2S3 nanoparticles such that these may find use in animal imaging, diagnostics, cell labeling and other biomedical applications. Herein, we for the first time have biosynthesized highly fluorescent, natural protein capped Bi2S3 nanoparticles by subjecting the fungus Fusarium oxysporum to bismuth nitrate pentahydrate [Bi(NO3)3.5H2O] alongwith sodium sulphite (Na2SO3) as precursor salts under ambient conditions of temperature, pressure and pH. The nanoparticles were completely characterized using recognized standard techniques. These natural protein capped Bi2S3 nanoparticles are quasi-spherical in shape with an average particle size of 15 nm, maintain long term stability and show semiconductor behavior having blue shift with a band gap of 3.04 eV. Semiconductor nanocrystals are fundamentally much more fluorescent than the toxic fluorescent chemical compounds (fluorophores) which are presently largely employed in imaging, immunohistochemistry, biochemistry, etc. Biologically fabricated fluorescent nanoparticles may replace organic fluorophores and aid in rapid development of biomedical nanotechnology. Thus, biodistribution study of the so-formed Bi2S3 nanoparticles in male Sprague Dawley rats was done by radiolabelling with Technitium-99m (Tc-99m) and clearance time from blood was calculated. The nanoparticles were then employed in SPECT-CT probe for animal imaging where these imparted iodine equivalent contrast.

Efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation of sulfadiazine sodium with hierarchical Bi7O9I3under solar irradiation.

Bi7O9I3, a kind of visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, with hierarchical micro/nano-architecture was successfully synthesized by oil-bath heating method, with ethylene glycol as solvent, and applied to degrade sulfonamide antibiotics. The as-prepared product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible diffuse reflection spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD and XPS tests confirmed that the product was indeed Bi7O9I3. The result of SEM observation shows that the as-synthesized Bi7O9I3 consists of a large number of micro-sheets with parallel rectangle structure. The optical test exhibited strong photoabsorption in visible light irradiation, with 617 nm of absorption edges. Moreover, the difference in the photocatalytic efficiency of as-prepared Bi7O9I3 at different seasons of a whole year was investigated in this study. The chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency and concentration of NO(3)(-) and SO(4)(2-) of solution after reaction were also researched to confirm whether degradation of the pollutant was complete; the results indicated a high mineralization capacity of Bi7O9I3. The as-synthesized Bi7O9I3exhibits an excellent oxidizing capacity of sulfadiazine sodium and favorable stability during the photocatalytic reaction.

Bio-coordination of bismuth in Helicobacter pylori revealed by immobilized metal affinity chromatography.

Over 300 Bi-binding peptides from 166 proteins in H. pylori were identified by Bi-IMAC. Bi(3+) exhibits high selectivity towards peptide enriched by cysteines and histidines with dominated motif patterns of CXnC, CXnH and HXnH. Structural rationalization and functional categorization on the identified Bi-binding peptides and proteins provide an insight into the inhibitory action of bismuth drugs.

Glutathione and multidrug resistance protein transporter mediate a self-propelled disposal of bismuth in human cells.

Glutathione and multidrug resistance protein (MRP) play an important role on the metabolism of a variety of drugs. Bismuth drugs have been used to treat gastrointestinal disorder and Helicobacter pylori infection for decades without exerting acute toxicity. They were found to interact with a wide variety of biomolecules, but the major metabolic pathway remains unknown. For the first time (to our knowledge), we systematically and quantitatively studied the metabolism of bismuth in human cells. Our data demonstrated that over 90% of bismuth was passively absorbed, conjugated to glutathione, and transported into vesicles by MRP transporter. Mathematical modeling of the system reveals an interesting phenomenon. Passively absorbed bismuth consumes intracellular glutathione, which therefore activates de novo biosynthesis of glutathione. Reciprocally, sequestration by glutathione facilitates the passive uptake of bismuth and thus completes a self-sustaining positive feedback circle. This mechanism robustly removes bismuth from both intra- and extracellular space, protecting critical systems of human body from acute toxicity. It elucidates the selectivity of bismuth drugs between human and pathogens that lack of glutathione, such as Helicobacter pylori, opening new horizons for further drug development.

Selective interaction of Hpn-like protein with nickel, zinc and bismuth in vitro and in cells by FRET.

Hpn-like (Hpnl) is a unique histidine- and glutamine-rich protein found only in Helicobacter pylori and plays a role on nickel homeostasis. We constructed the fluorescent sensor proteins CYHpnl and CYHpnl_1-48 (C-terminal glutamine-rich region truncated) using enhanced cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins (eCFP and eYFP) as the donor-acceptor pair to monitor the interactions of Hpnl with metal ions and to elucidate the role of conserved Glu-rich sequence in Hpnl by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). CYHpnl and CYHpnl_1-48 exhibited largest responses towards Ni(II) and Zn(II) over other metals studied and the binding of Bi(III) to CYHpnl was observed in the presence of an excess amount of Bi(III) ions (Kd=115±4.8 µM). Moreover, both CYHpnl and CYHpnl_1-48 showed positive FRET responses towards the binding to Ni(II) and Zn(II) in Escherichia coli cells overexpressing CYHpnl and CYHpnl_1-48, whereas a decrease in FRET upon Bi(III)-binding in E. coli cells overexpressing the latter. Our study provides clear evidence on Hpnl binding to nickel in cells, and intracellular interaction of Hpnl with Bi(III) could disrupt the protein function, thus probably contributing to the efficacy of Bi(III) drugs against H. pylori.

Bismuth(III) volatilization and immobilization by filamentous fungus Aspergillus clavatus during aerobic incubation.

As with many metals, bismuth can be accumulated or transformed by microorganisms. These interactions affect microbial consortia and bismuth environmental behaviour, mobility, and toxicity. Recent research focused specifically on bismuth anaerobic transformation by bacteria and archaea has inspired the evaluation of the mutual interactions between bismuth and filamentous fungi as presented in this article. The Aspergillus clavatus fungus proved resistant to adverse effects from bismuth contamination in culture medium with up to a concentration of 195 µmol L(-1) during static 15- and 30-day cultivation. The examined resistance mechanism includes biosorption to the fungal surface and biovolatilization. Pelletized fungal biomass has shown high affinity for dissolved bismuth(III). Bismuth biosorption was rapid, reaching equilibrium after 50 min with a 0.35 mmol g(-1) maximum sorption capacity as calculated from the Langmuir isotherm. A. clavatus accumulated ≤70 µmol g(-1) of bismuth after 30 days. Preceding isotherm study implications that most accumulated bismuth binds to cell wall suggests that biosorption is the main detoxification mechanism. Accumulated bismuth was also partly volatilized (≤1 µmol) or sequestrated in the cytosol or vacuoles. Concurrently, ≤1.6 µmol of bismuth remaining in solution was precipitated by fungal activity. These observations indicate that complex mutual interactions between bismuth and filamentous fungi are environmentally significant regarding bismuth mobility and transformation.

Bacterial recovery and recycling of tellurium from tellurium-containing compounds by Pseudoalteromonas sp. EPR3.

AIMS: Tellurium-based devices, such as photovoltaic (PV) modules and thermoelectric generators, are expected to play an increasing role in renewable energy technologies. Tellurium, however, is one of the scarcest elements in the earth's crust, and current production and recycling methods are inefficient and use toxic chemicals. This study demonstrates an alternative, bacterially mediated tellurium recovery process. METHODS AND RESULTS: We show that the hydrothermal vent microbe Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain EPR3 can convert tellurium from a wide variety of compounds, industrial sources and devices into metallic tellurium and a gaseous tellurium species. These compounds include metallic tellurium (Te(0)), tellurite (TeO3(2-)), copper autoclave slime, tellurium dioxide (TeO2), tellurium-based PV material (cadmium telluride, CdTe) and tellurium-based thermoelectric material (bismuth telluride, Bi2Te3). Experimentally, this was achieved by incubating these tellurium sources with the EPR3 in both solid and liquid media. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that many of these tellurium compounds are considered insoluble in aqueous solution, they can nonetheless be transformed by EPR3, suggesting the existence of a steady state soluble tellurium concentration during tellurium transformation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: These experiments provide insights into the processes of tellurium precipitation and volatilization by bacteria, and their implications on tellurium production and recycling.