Unraveling the stress response and biosorption mechanisms of <i>Aspergillus niger</i> to rare earth element cerium(III) based on transcriptomics and DNA methylomics.

ABSTRACT: Rare earth elements (REEs) represent critical industrial resources, yet conventional extraction methods face substantial environmental and efficiency constraints. Fungal bioleaching emerges as an eco-friendly alternative, leveraging organic acid secretion to facilitate REEs dissolution and adsorption. However, progressive REEs accumulation inhibits microbial activity, with fungal resistance mechanisms remaining incompletely understood. Here, we report the discovery of Aspergillus niger FH1, a highly REEs-tolerant strain exhibiting remarkable Ce(III) tolerance (600 mg/L maximum) and achieving 74.05% adsorption efficiency under optimized conditions. Integrated physicochemical characterization (SEM, FTIR, XPS) revealed dual adsorption mechanisms: physical entrapment evidenced by Ce(III

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12597938 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature