Iodate respiration by Azoarcus sp. DN11 and its potential use for removal of radioiodine from contaminated aquifers

Azoarcus sp. DN11 was previously isolated from gasoline-contaminated groundwater as an anaerobic benzene-degrading bacterium. Genome analysis of strain DN11 revealed that it contained a putative idr gene cluster (idrABP1P2), which was recently found to be involved in bacterial iodate (IO3−) respiration. In this study, we determined if strain DN11 performed iodate respiration and assessed its potential use to remove and sequester radioactive iodine (129I) from subsurface contaminated aquifers. Strain DN11 coupled acetate oxidation to iodate reduction and grew anaerobically with iodate as the sole electron acceptor. The respiratory iodate reductase (Idr) activity of strain DN11 was visualized on non-denaturing gel electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the active band suggested the involvement of IdrA, IdrP1, and IdrP2 in iodate respiration. The transcriptomic analysis also showed that idrA, idrP1, and idrP2 expression was upregulated under iodate-respiring conditions. After the growth of strain DN11 on iodate, silver-impregnated zeolite was added to the spent medium to remove iodide from the aqueous phase. In the presence of 200 μM iodate as the electron acceptor, more than 98% of iodine was successfully removed from the aqueous phase. These results suggest that strain DN11 is potentially helpful for bioaugmentation of 129I-contaminated subsurface aquifers

Stable C and N isotope abundances in water-extractable organic matter from air-dried soils as potential indices of microbially utilized organic matter

Stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotopes (13C and 15N) in water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) derived from air-dried soils may be applicable to elucidate the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM), which is crucial in terrestrial C cycles. A total of 40 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–6 cm from a temperate broadleaved forest in Japan with vegetation succession from grassland approximately 150 years ago. Those soil samples were air-dried before the water extraction process and organic matter analysis. The C and N concentrations of WEOM were <3.6% of those of the bulk soil and were positively correlated with those of the bulk soil at a p-value of < 0.01. A positive correlation between the two fractions (i.e., WEOM and bulk soils) was also found for natural 13C and 15N abundances (δ13C and δ15N; p < 0.01). However, the C/N ratio of WEOM was slightly correlated with that of bulk soils, exhibiting a narrow range of values of ~10. Thus, those features of the WEOM were similar to the well-known features of microbial biomass. The δ13C and δ15N enrichments in WEOM relative to bulk soil, the difference in stable isotope abundances between bulk SOM and WEOM were negatively and positively correlated, respectively, with the concentrations of organo-mineral complexes and short-range order minerals (non-crystalline oxyhydroxides of aluminum and iron, allophane, imogolite, and allophane-like constituents), which play significant roles in SOM stabilization in soils. These relationships suggest that the stable isotopic enrichments in WEOM can be a good indicator of the microbial utilization of soil C and N under different substrate availabilities, which are crucial to SOM decomposition and decomposability substantially varying from local to global scales

Root-endophytic Chaetomium cupreum chemically enhances aluminium tolerance in Miscanthus sinensis via increasing the aluminium detoxicants, chlorogenic acid and oosporein

Miscanthus sinensis Andersson is a pioneer plant species that grows naturally at mining sites. Miscanthus sinensis can detoxify aluminium (Al) by producing phytosiderophores, such as chlorogenic acid, citric acid, and malic acid, and localizing Al in cell walls. Root-endophytic Chaetomium cupreum, which produces microbial siderophores, enhances Al tolerance in M. sinensis. However, we could not determine whether the siderophores produced by C. cupreum actually enhance Al tolerance in M. sinensis, because the microbial siderophores have not yet been identified in previous research. The purpose of this study was to clarify how C. cupreum chemically increases Al tolerance in M. sinensis under acidic mining site conditions, especially considering siderophores. Using instrumental analyses, the siderophore produced by C. cupreum was identified as oosporein. Comparison of the stability constant between Al and phytosiderophores and oosporein indicated that oosporein could detoxify Al similarly to chlorogenic acid, which shows higher stability constant than citric acid and malic acid. Inoculation test of C. cupreum onto M. sinensis in acidic mine soil showed that C. cupreum promoted seedling growth, and enhanced Al tolerance via inducing chlorogenic-acid production and producing oosporein. These results suggested that C. cupreum could chemically enhance Al tolerance and might promote growth via reducing excessive Al in cell walls, the main site of Al accumulation. In addition, the chemical enhancement of Al tolerance by C. cupreum might be important for M. sinensis to adapt to acidic mining sites

Study on coordination structure of Re adsorbed on Mg–Al layered double hydroxide using X-ray absorption fine structure

International audiencePorous materials of hydrotalcite-like layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been used for removal of anionic contaminants from solution. However, local coordination structures of anions adsorbed on LDHs are not fully understood because of the lack of spectroscopic studies. In this study, we utilized X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to clarify the coordination structure of Re in Mg–Al LDH as a surrogate of Tc. Adsorption experiments of ReO4− on calcined and uncalcined Mg–Al LDHs were conducted in aqueous solutions with different concentrations of NaCl, NaNO3, and Na2SO4. The tested calcined and uncalcined Mg–Al LDHs were characterized by chemical composition analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and BET surface area. Calcined Mg–Al LDH showed much higher adsorption than uncalcined one. The adsorption of ReO4− was reversible, and decreased with increasing concentration of competing anions like Cl−, NO3−, or SO42−. Rhenium LIII-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure suggested that neither redox reaction nor change of coordination structure occurred during intercalation of Re into Mg–Al LDH. Analysis of Re LIII-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure indicated that ReO4− was adsorbed as an outer-sphere complex on Mg–Al LDH. The observed Re adsorption–desorption behavior, which was sensitive to the presence of competing anions, was consistent with the formation of outer sphere-complex

Ba AND Sr ADSORPTION ON MICROBIALLY FORMED Mn OXIDE: IMPLICATION TO REMOVAL OF Ra FROM U MINING WASTEWATER

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Analysis of microstructural images of dry and water-saturated compacted bentonite samples observed with X-ray micro CT

Compacted bentonite, of which the major clay mineral is montmorillonite, is a candidate buffer material for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In this study, a microfocus X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT, X-ray micro-scope), which enables non-destructive, three-dimensional observation of the interior microstructure of a sample with high resolution (several microns), examined compacted montmorillonite samples under dry and water-saturated states. The images thus obtained were analyzed by a computer code developed for this study to obtain the information on the size and shape of montmorillonite grains in the samples before and after the water saturation. From the results of the image analysis, it can be supposed that the outer montmorillonite sheets of grains swelled and formed a gel, whereas the inner montmorillonite sheets did not change significantly in the water-saturation process

137CS UPTAKE BY LENTINULA EDODES (SHIITAKE) MUSHROOMS

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CLAY MINERAL DISSOLUTION BY ACTIVITIES OF SIDEROPHORE PRODUCING BACTERIA,

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Radiocesium in Shiitake mushroom: Accumulation in living fruit bodies and leaching from dead fruit bodies

International audienceIn this paper, cesium (Cs) accumulation by the saprophytic fungus Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) was investigated to contribute to the elucidation of radiocesium-cycling mechanisms in forest environments. Although the 137Cs in the mushroom bed before culture was bioavailable, the transfer factor (TF) of Cs (133Cs and 137Cs) from the mushroom bed to fruit bodies was low (approximately 1) and the TFs of K (5) and Na (1.5) were higher. Cs and K concentrations in fruit bodies at different maturity stages were almost constant. The concentration ratio of Cs/K is constant in the pileus regardless of the pileus tissues. These results demonstrate that Shiitake non-specifically accumulates Cs while accumulating the essential element K and provide evidence that no selective Cs accumulation (or binding) sites exist within the Shiitake fruit body. Furthermore, the present results show that most accumulated Cs quickly leaches out from the dead fruit body with exposure to water. The leached Cs was largely adsorbable on clay minerals, suggesting that the Shiitake fruit body likely contains Cs in the cation form

Data_Sheet_1_Iodate respiration by Azoarcus sp. DN11 and its potential use for removal of radioiodine from contaminated aquifers.pdf

Azoarcus sp. DN11 was previously isolated from gasoline-contaminated groundwater as an anaerobic benzene-degrading bacterium. Genome analysis of strain DN11 revealed that it contained a putative idr gene cluster (idrABP1P2), which was recently found to be involved in bacterial iodate (IO3−) respiration. In this study, we determined if strain DN11 performed iodate respiration and assessed its potential use to remove and sequester radioactive iodine (129I) from subsurface contaminated aquifers. Strain DN11 coupled acetate oxidation to iodate reduction and grew anaerobically with iodate as the sole electron acceptor. The respiratory iodate reductase (Idr) activity of strain DN11 was visualized on non-denaturing gel electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the active band suggested the involvement of IdrA, IdrP1, and IdrP2 in iodate respiration. The transcriptomic analysis also showed that idrA, idrP1, and idrP2 expression was upregulated under iodate-respiring conditions. After the growth of strain DN11 on iodate, silver-impregnated zeolite was added to the spent medium to remove iodide from the aqueous phase. In the presence of 200 μM iodate as the electron acceptor, more than 98% of iodine was successfully removed from the aqueous phase. These results suggest that strain DN11 is potentially helpful for bioaugmentation of 129I-contaminated subsurface aquifers.</p