Project description:Cadmium is one of several heavy metals present in contaminated soils. Apparently, it has no biological role but can produce DNA damage, overexpression of stress response proteins and misfolded proteins, amongst other deleterial effects. Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is an acidophilic bacterium capable of resisting very high concentrations of heavy metals such as cadmium. This is important for industrial bioleaching processes where Cd+2 concentrations can be in the range of 5-100 mM. Cadmium resistance mechanisms in these microorganisms have not been fully characterized. A. ferrooxidans ATCC 53993 contains genes coding for possible metal resistance determinants such as efflux systems belonging to three families: P-type ATPases, RND transporters and cation diffusion facilitators (CDF). In addition, it has some extra copies of these genes in its exclusive genomic island (GI). Several of these putative genes were characterized in the present report by determining their transcriptional expression profiles and functionality. Moreover, a global quantitative proteomic analysis was carried out to further explore new cadmium resistance determinants in this biomining acidophile. Changes in iron oxidation pathways, upregulation of transport proteins (P-type ATPases and CDFs) and changes in ribosomal protein levels were seen. Finally, increased concentrations of exclusive putative cadmium ATPases present in strain ATCC 53993 GI and other non-identified proteins such as Lferr_0210, which forms part of a possible operon, could explain its greater resistance to cadmium compared to other acidophiles such as A. ferrooxidans ATCC 23270.
Project description:The study identified a total of 3169 gene transcripts (98.4% coverage). By comparing the anaerobic versus aerobic H2-oxidizing At. ferrooxidans cultures, a total of 371 DEGs were found. Of these, 168 DEGs were increased significantly during the aerobic growth on H2 (with O2 as the sole electron acceptor), while 203 DEGs increased significantly during anaerobic growth on H2 (with Fe3+ as the sole electron acceptor).
Project description:To address the question of how quorum sensing controls biofilm formation in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC23270, the transcriptome of this organism in conditions in which quorum sensing response is stimulated by a synthetic acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) analogue has been studied. Tetrazole 9c was used in DNA microarray experiments that allowed the identification of genes regulated by quorum sensing signalling, and more particularly those involved in early biofilm formation.
