Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phophatases

The first objective of this project is to determine the relationship of phosphatase activity to metal resistance in subsurface strains and the role of lateral gene transfer (LGT) in dissemination of nonspecific acid phosphatase genes. Nonspecific acid phosphohydrolases are a broad group of secreted microbial phosphatases that function in acidic-to-neutral pH ranges and utilize a wide range of organophosphate substrates. We have previously shown that PO43- accumulation during growth on a model organophosphorus compound was attributable to the overproduction of alkaline phosphatase by genetically modified subsurface pseudomonads [Powers et al. (2002) FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 41:115-123]. During this report period, we have extended these results to include indigenous metal resistant subsurface microorganisms cultivated from the Field Research Center (FRC), in Oak Ridge Tennessee

Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phophatases

The following is a summary of progress in our project ''Promoting uranium immobilization by the activities of microbial phosphatases'' during the second year of the project. (1). Assignment of microbial phosphatases to molecular classes. One objective of this project is to determine the relationship of phosphatase activity to metal resistance in subsurface strains and possible contributions of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to the dissemination of nonspecific acid phosphatase genes. Non-specific acid phosphohydrolases are a broad group of secreted microbial phosphatases that function in acidic-to-neutral pH ranges and utilize a wide range of organophosphate substrates. To address this objective we have designed a collection of PCR primer sets based on known microbial acid phosphatase sequences. Genomic DNA is extracted from subsurface FRC isolates and amplicons of the expected sizes are sequenced and searched for conserved signature motifs. During this reporting period we have successfully designed and tested a suite of PCR primers for gram-positive and gram-negative groups of the following phosphatase classes: (1) Class A; (2) Class B; and (3) Class C (gram negative). We have obtained specific PCR products for each of the classes using the primers we have designed using control strains as well as with subsurface isolates

Promoting Uranium Immobilization by the Activities of Microbial Phosphatases

The overall objective of this project is to examine the activity of nonspecific phosphohydrolases present in naturally occurring subsurface microorganisms for the purpose of promoting the immobilization of radionuclides through the production of uranium [U(VI)] phosphate precipitates. Specifically, we hypothesize that the precipitation of U(VI) phosphate minerals may be promoted through the microbial release and/or accumulation of PO4 3- as a means to detoxify radionuclides and heavy metals. An experimental approach was designed to determine the extent of phosphatase activity in bacteria previously isolated from contaminated subsurface soils collected at the ERSP Field Research Center (FRC) in Oak Ridge, TN. Screening of 135 metal resistant isolates for phosphatase activity indicated the majority (75 of 135) exhibited a phosphatase-positive phenotype. During this phase of the project, a PCR based approach has also been designed to assay FRC isolates for the presence of one or more classes of the characterized non-specific acid phophastase (NSAP) genes likely to be involved in promoting U(VI) precipitation. Testing of a subset of Pb resistant (Pbr) Arthrobacter, Bacillus and Rahnella strains indicated 4 of the 9 Pbr isolates exhibited phosphatase phenotypes suggestive of the ability to bioprecipitate U(VI). Two FRC strains, a Rahnella sp. strain Y9602 and a Bacillus sp. strain Y9-2, were further characterized. The Rahnella sp. exhibited enhanced phosphatase activity relative to the Bacillus sp. Whole-cell enzyme assays identified a pH optimum of 5.5, and inorganic phosphate accumulated in pH 5.5 synthetic groundwater (designed to mimic FRC conditions) incubations of both strains in the presence of a model organophosphorus substrate provided as the sole C and P source. Kinetic experiments showed that these two organisms can grow in the presence of 200 μM dissolved uranium and that Rahnella is much more efficient in precipitating U(VI) than Bacillus sp. The precipitation of U(VI) must be mediated by biological activity as less than 3% soluble U(VI) was removed either from the abiotic or the heat-killed cell controls. Interestingly, the pH has a strong effect on growth and U(VI) biomineralization rates by Rahnella. Thermodynamic modeling identifies autunite-type minerals [Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2] as the precipitate likely formed in the synthetic FRC groundwater conditions at all pH investigated. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements have recently confirmed that the precipitate found in these incubations is an autunite and meta-autunite-type mineral. A kinetic model of U biomineralization at the different pH indicates that hydrolysis of organophosphate can be described using simple Monod kinetics and that uranium precipitation is accelerated when monohydrogen phosphate is the main orthophosphate species in solution. Overall, these experiments and ongoing soil slurry incubations demonstrate that the biomineralization of U(VI) through the activity of phosphatase enzymes can be expressed in a wide range of geochemical conditions pertaining to the FRC site

Microbial Community Analysis of a Coastal Salt Marsh Affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Conceived and designed the experiments: MJB RJM BM PAS. Performed the experiments: MJB RJM SR JP YMP LMT JDVN. Analyzed the data: MJB RJM YMP LMT GLA TCH JDVN JZ PAS. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: GLA TCH JZ BM PAS. Wrote the paper: MJB RJM PAS.Coastal salt marshes are highly sensitive wetland ecosystems that can sustain long-term impacts from anthropogenic events such as oil spills. In this study, we examined the microbial communities of a Gulf of Mexico coastal salt marsh during and after the influx of petroleum hydrocarbons following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Total hydrocarbon concentrations in salt marsh sediments were highest in June and July 2010 and decreased in September 2010. Coupled PhyloChip and GeoChip microarray analyses demonstrated that the microbial community structure and function of the extant salt marsh hydrocarbon-degrading microbial populations changed significantly during the study. The relative richness and abundance of phyla containing previously described hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria) increased in hydrocarbon-contaminated sediments and then decreased once hydrocarbons were below detection. Firmicutes, however, continued to increase in relative richness and abundance after hydrocarbon concentrations were below detection. Functional genes involved in hydrocarbon degradation were enriched in hydrocarbon-contaminated sediments then declined significantly (p<0.05) once hydrocarbon concentrations decreased. A greater decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations among marsh grass sediments compared to inlet sediments (lacking marsh grass) suggests that the marsh rhizosphere microbial communities could also be contributing to hydrocarbon degradation. The results of this study provide a comprehensive view of microbial community structural and functional dynamics within perturbed salt marsh ecosystems.Yeshttp://www.plosone.org/static/editorial#pee

Signals in the Sea

Issued as final reportNational Science Foundation (U.S.

Final Technical Report

This final technical report describes results and findings from a research project to examine the role of microbial phosphohydrolase enzymes in naturally occurring subsurface microorganisms for the purpose of promoting the immobilization of the radionuclide uranium through the production of insoluble uranium phosphate minerals. The research project investigated the microbial mechanisms and the physical and chemical processes promoting uranium biomineralization and sequestration in oxygenated subsurface soils. Uranium biomineralization under aerobic conditions can provide a secondary biobarrier strategy to immobilize radionuclides should the metal precipitates formed by microbial dissimilatory mechanisms remobilize due to a change in redox state

Final Technical Report

This final technical report describes results and findings from a research project to examine the role of microbial phosphohydrolase enzymes in naturally occurring subsurface microorganisms for the purpose of promoting the immobilization of the radionuclide uranium through the production of insoluble uranium phosphate minerals. The research project investigated the microbial mechanisms and the physical and chemical processes promoting uranium biomineralization and sequestration in oxygenated subsurface soils. Uranium biomineralization under aerobic conditions can provide a secondary biobarrier strategy to immobilize radionuclides should the metal precipitates formed by microbial dissimilatory mechanisms remobilize due to a change in redox state

Adaptation of Phytoplankton-Degrading Microbial Communities to Thermal Reactor Effluent in a New Cooling Reservoir

In water column and sediment inocula from a nuclear reactor cooling reservoir, natural phytoplankton substrate labeled with (14)C was used to determine aerobic and anaerobic mineralization rates for a range of temperatures (25, 40, 55, and 70°C) expected during reactor operation. For experiments that were begun during reactor shutdown, aerobic decomposition occurred at temperatures of <55°C. After 2 months of reactor operation, aerobic rates increased substantially at 55 and 70°C, although maximum rates were observed at temperatures of ≤40°C. The temperature range for which maximum anaerobic mineralization (i.e., the sum of CH(4) and CO(2)) was observed was 25 to 40°C when the reactor was off, expanding to 25 to 55°C during reactor operation. Increased rates at 55°C, but not 70°C, correlated with an increase in the ratio of cumulative methane to carbon dioxide produced over 21 days. When reduced reactor power lowered the maximum temperature of the reservoir to 42°C, aerobic decomposition at 70°C was negligible, but remained substantial at 55°C. Selection for thermophilic decomposers occurred rapidly in this system in both aerobic and anaerobic communities and did not require prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures

Sequence Characterization and Comparative Analysis of Three Plasmids Isolated from Environmental Vibrio spp.▿ †

The horizontal transfer of genes by mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and phages can accelerate genome diversification of Vibrio spp., affecting their physiology, pathogenicity, and ecological character. In this study, sequence analysis of three plasmids from Vibrio spp. previously isolated from salt marsh sediment revealed the remarkable diversity of these elements. Plasmids p0908 (81.4 kb), p23023 (52.5 kb), and p09022 (31.0 kb) had a predicted 99, 64, and 32 protein-coding sequences and G+C contents of 49.2%, 44.7%, and 42.4%, respectively. A phylogenetic tree based on concatenation of the host 16S rRNA and rpoA nucleotide sequences indicated p23023 and p09022 were isolated from strains most closely related to V. mediterranei and V. campbellii, respectively, while the host of p0908 forms a clade with V. fluvialis and V. furnissii. Many predicted proteins had amino acid identities to proteins of previously characterized phages and plasmids (24 to 94%). Predicted proteins with similarity to chromosomally encoded proteins included RecA, a nucleoid-associated protein (NdpA), a type IV helicase (UvrD), and multiple hypothetical proteins. Plasmid p0908 had striking similarity to enterobacteria phage P1, sharing genetic organization and amino acid identity for 23 predicted proteins. This study provides evidence of genetic exchange between Vibrio plasmids, phages, and chromosomes among diverse Vibrio spp