Dissolved Fe (dissolved + fe)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Gene transcript analysis of assimilatory iron limitation in Geobacteraceae during groundwater bioremediation

ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008
Regina A. O'Neil
Summary Limitations on the availability of Fe(III) as an electron acceptor are thought to play an important role in restricting the growth and activity of Geobacter species during bioremediation of contaminated subsurface environments, but the possibility that these organisms might also be limited in the subsurface by the availability of iron for assimilatory purposes was not previously considered because copious quantities of Fe(II) are produced as the result of Fe(III) reduction. Analysis of multiple Geobacteraceae genomes revealed the presence of a three-gene cluster consisting of homologues of two iron-dependent regulators, fur and dtxR (ideR), separated by a homologue of feoB, which encodes an Fe(II) uptake protein. This cluster appears to be conserved among members of the Geobacteraceae and was detected in several environments. Expression of the fur-feoB-ideR cluster decreased as Fe(II) concentrations increased in chemostat cultures. The number of Geobacteraceae feoB transcripts in groundwater samples from a site undergoing in situ uranium bioremediation was relatively high until the concentration of dissolved Fe(II) increased near the end of the field experiment. These results suggest that, because much of the Fe(II) is sequestered in solid phases, Geobacter species, which have a high requirement for iron for iron-sulfur proteins, may be limited by the amount of iron available for assimilatory purposes. These results demonstrate the ability of transcript analysis to reveal previously unsuspected aspects of the in situ physiology of microorganisms in subsurface environments. [source]


Arsenic Binding to Iron(II) Minerals Produced by An Iron(III)-Reducing Aeromonas Strain Isolated from Paddy Soil

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2009
Xin-Jun Wang
Abstract An iron-reducing bacterial strain was isolated from a paddy soil and identified as a member of the Aeromonas group by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. When the cells were growing with dissolved Fe(III) as the electron acceptor in the presence of As(V), Fe(II) minerals (siderite and vivianite) were formed and dissolved. As was removed efficiently from solution. When the cells were growing with the Fe(III) hydroxide mineral (ferrihydrite) as the electron acceptor in the presence of As(V), ferrihydrite was reduced and dissolved As(V) concentrations decreased sharply. The present study results demonstrated first that members of the Aeromonas group can reduce Fe(III) in paddy soils and second that iron reduction does not necessarily lead to arsenic mobilization. However, As immobilization can occur in environments that contain significant concentrations of counterions such as bicarbonate and phosphate. [source]


Mobilization of metals from uranium mine waste: the role of pyoverdines produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens

GEOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
F. EDBERG
Microorganisms produce chelating agents, such as siderophores and other ligands, which allow them to mobilize and scavenge essential elements from the environment when bioavailability is low. To better understand the effects of biologically mediated leaching of metals from mine waste, Pseudomonas fluorescens was cultivated in the presence of processed ore from the former uranium mine in Ranstad, southern Sweden. Light conditions, the concentration of the mineral source and oxygen availability were varied. The presence of ore in the culture flasks enhanced bacterial growth and raised the pH of the culture medium. Increasing the amount of ore or enhancing aeration of the medium further encouraged cell growth and pH rise. Bacteria mobilized Fe, Ni and Co from the ore. Fe-siderophore complexes were detected and estimated to be present at approximately 9 ,m. In the presence of bacteria and light, dissolved Fe and U concentrations were higher compared to dark conditions. Increasing the amount of ore resulted in higher dissolved Ni concentrations but lower dissolved Fe, most likely due to precipitate formation. Data from this study support siderophore production by bacteria that allowed mobilization of essential nutrients from the processed ore. However, the availability of potentially toxic metals like Ni and U may also be enhanced. Microbial-promoted mobilization could contribute to leaching of toxic metals in current and historic mining areas. This process should be considered during design and implementation of remediation projects where trace metals are of environmental concern. [source]


The potential significance of microbial Fe(III) reduction during deposition of Precambrian banded iron formations

GEOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005
K. O. KONHAUSER
ABSTRACT During deposition of late Archean,early Palaeoproterozoic Precambrian banded iron formations (BIFs) the downward flux of ferric hydroxide (Fe(OH)3) and phytoplankton biomass should have facilitated microbial Fe(III) reduction. However, quantifying the significance of such a metabolic pathway in the Precambrian is extremely difficult, considering the post-depositional alteration of the rocks and the lack of ideal modern analogues. Consequently, we have very few constraints on the Fe cycle at that time, namely (i) the concentration of dissolved Fe(II) in the ocean waters; (ii) by what mechanisms Fe(II) was oxidized (chemical, photochemical or biological, the latter using either O2 or light); (iii) where the ferric hydroxide was precipitated (over the shelf vs. open ocean); (iv) the amount of phytoplankton biomass, which relates to the nutrient status of the surface waters; (v) the relative importance of Fe(III) reduction vs. the other types of metabolic pathways utilized by sea floor microbial communities; and (vi) the proportion of primary vs. diagenetic Fe(II) in BIF. Furthermore, although estimates can be made regarding the quantity of reducing equivalents necessary to account for the diagenetic Fe(II) component in Fe-rich BIF layers, those same estimates do not offer any insights into the magnitude of Fe(III) actually generated within the water column, and hence, the efficiency of Fe and C recycling prior to burial. Accordingly, in this study, we have attempted to model the ancient Fe cycle, based simply on conservative experimental rates of photosynthetic Fe(II) oxidation in the euphotic zone. We estimate here that under ideal growth conditions, as much as 70% of the biologically formed Fe(III) could have been recycled back into the water column via fermentation and organic carbon oxidation coupled to microbial Fe(III) reduction. By comparing the potential amount of biomass generated phototrophically with the reducing equivalents required for Fe(III) reduction and magnetite formation, we also hypothesize that another anaerobic metabolic pathway might have been utilized in the surface sediment to oxidize the fermentation by-products. Based on the premise that the deep ocean waters were anoxic, this role could have been fulfilled by methanogens, and maybe even methanotrophs that employed Fe(III) reduction. [source]


PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A SYNECHOCOCCUS SP. (CYANOPHYCEAE) STRAIN PCC 7942 IRON-DEPENDENT BIOREPORTER FOR FRESHWATER ENVIRONMENTS,

JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
David Porta
The complex chemical speciation of Fe in aquatic systems and the uncertainties associated with biological assimilation of Fe species make it difficult to assess the bioavailability of Fe to phytoplankton in relation to total dissolved Fe concentrations in natural waters. We developed a cyanobacterial Fe-responsive bioreporter constructed in Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942 by fusing the Fe-responsive isiAB promoter to Vibrio harveyi luxAB reporter genes. A comprehensive physiological characterization of the bioreporter has been made in defined Fraquil medium at free ferric ion concentrations ranging from pFe 21.6 to pFe 19.5. Whereas growth and physiological parameters are largely constrained over this range of Fe bioavailability, the bioreporter elicits a luminescent signal that varies in response to Fe deficiency. A dose-response characterization of bioreporter luminescence made over this range of Fe3+ bioavailability demonstrates a sigmoidal response with a dynamic linear range extending between pFe 21.1 and pFe 20.6. The applicability of using this Fe bioreporter to assess Fe availability in the natural environment has been tested using water samples from Lake Huron (Laurentian Great Lakes). Parallel assessment of dissolved Fe and bioreporter response from these samples reinforces the idea that measures of dissolved Fe should not be considered alone when assessing Fe availability to phytoplankton communities. [source]