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Microbial communities from different subsystems in biological heap leaching system play different roles in iron and sulfur metabolisms

  • Environmental biotechnology
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Abstract

The microbial communities are important for minerals decomposition in biological heap leaching system. However, the differentiation and relationship of composition and function of microbial communities between leaching heap (LH) and leaching solution (LS) are still unclear. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to assess the microbial communities from the two subsystems in ZiJinShan copper mine (Fujian province, China). Results of PCoA and dissimilarity test showed that microbial communities in LH samples were significantly different from those in LS samples. The dominant genera of LH was Acidithiobacillus (57.2 ∼ 87.9 %), while Leptospirillum (48.6 ∼ 73.7 %) was predominant in LS. Environmental parameters (especially pH) were the major factors to influence the composition and structure of microbial community by analysis of Mantel tests. Results of functional test showed that microbial communities in LH utilized sodium thiosulfate more quickly and utilized ferrous sulfate more slowly than those in LS, which further indicated that the most sulfur-oxidizing processes of bioleaching took place in LH and the most iron-oxidizing processes were in LS. Further study found that microbial communities in LH had stronger pyrite leaching ability, and iron extraction efficiency was significantly positively correlated with Acidithiobacillus (dominated in LH), which suggested that higher abundance ratio of sulfur-oxidizing microbes might in favor of minerals decomposition. Finally, a conceptual model was designed through the above results to better exhibit the sulfur and iron metabolism in bioleaching systems.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 31570113 and No. 41573072). Thanks to prof. Huaqun Yin and Xueduan Liu who helped design this study and contributed material essential for the study, to Weiling Dong, Liyuan Ma, Xiaodong Hao Yili Liang, Yabin Gu, and Siyuan She for their help finish this experiment, and to Jiaojiao Niu and Xian Zhang for data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China

    Yunhua Xiao, Xueduan Liu, Liyuan Ma, Yili Liang, Jiaojiao Niu, Yabing Gu, Xian Zhang, Xiaodong Hao, Weiling Dong, Siyuan She & Huaqun Yin

  2. Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China

    Yunhua Xiao, Xueduan Liu, Liyuan Ma, Yili Liang, Jiaojiao Niu, Yabing Gu, Xian Zhang, Xiaodong Hao, Weiling Dong, Siyuan She & Huaqun Yin

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  1. Yunhua Xiao
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  2. Xueduan Liu
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  8. Xiaodong Hao
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  9. Weiling Dong
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Correspondence to Huaqun Yin.

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Xiao, Y., Liu, X., Ma, L. et al. Microbial communities from different subsystems in biological heap leaching system play different roles in iron and sulfur metabolisms. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 100, 6871–6880 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-7537-1

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