• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제32권9호
• /
• pp.1110-1119
• /
• 2022

Fe-S clusters are versatile and essential cofactors that participate in multiple and fundamental biological processes. In Escherichia coli, the biogenesis of these cofactors requires either the housekeeping Isc pathway, or the stress-induced Suf pathway which plays a general role under conditions of oxidative stress or iron limitation. In the present work, the Fe-S cluster assembly Isc and Suf systems of acidophilic Bacteria and Archaea, which thrive in highly oxidative environments, were studied. This analysis revealed that acidophilic microorganisms have a complete set of genes encoding for a single system (either Suf or Isc). In acidophilic Proteobacteria and Nitrospirae, a complete set of isc genes (iscRSUAX-hscBA-fdx), but not genes coding for the Suf system, was detected. The activity of the Isc system was studied in Leptospirillum sp. CF-1 (Nitrospirae). RT-PCR experiments showed that eight candidate genes were co-transcribed and conform the isc operon in this strain. Additionally, RT-qPCR assays showed that the expression of the iscS gene was significantly up-regulated in cells exposed to oxidative stress imposed by 260 mM Fe₂(SO₄)₃ for 1 h or iron starvation for 3 h. The activity of cysteine desulfurase (IscS) in CF-1 cell extracts was also upregulated under such conditions. Thus, the Isc system from Leptospirillum sp. CF-1 seems to play an active role in stressful environments. These results contribute to a better understanding of the distribution and role of Fe-S cluster protein biogenesis systems in organisms that thrive in extreme environmental conditions.

• 자원리싸이클링
• /
• 제20권2호
• /
• pp.30-44
• /
• 2011

본 총설은 광석으로부터 우라늄의 미생물 침출시 사용하는 Acidithiobacillus forrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans 그리고 Leptospirillum ferrooxidans 등에 역할과 침출반응에 관하여 기술하였다. 미생물에 의한 우라늄의 침출반응은 박테리아가 우라늄 광석과 직접 반응하기 보다는 박테리아가 $U^{4+}$를 산화시키는데 필요한 $Fe^{3+}$를 공급하고, $Fe^{3+}$가 우라늄 광석과 반응하는 간접반응기구(indirect mechanism)에 의하여 일어난다. 건식제련법과 같은 전통적인 금속회수 공정에 비하여 환경친화적이고 경제적인 장점 때문에 저품위 광물자원으로부터 유기금속을 회수하는데 미생물 제련법이 널리 활용되고 있다. 현재 우라늄은 heap, dump 그리고 in situ를 이용한 미생물 침출법으로 회수되고 있다. Bioheap의 공기 투입량, 교반반응용기의 디자인 및 조업 개선 분야에서 기술개발이 지속적으로 이루어졌으며 최근에는 미생물 침출반응에 투입된 박테리아의 특성 개선 및 균주수를 제어하기 위한 molecular biology 분야에서 활발한 연구가 진행되고 있다.