Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A comparative study of characteristic properties ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans strains

  • Papers
  • Published:
Folia Microbiologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Several cultures ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans were purified by isolation of single colonies and simple physiological and biochemical properties of the purified cultures, such as colony morphology, kinetics of ferrous ion oxidation, growth on elemental sulfur and thiosulfate, oxidation of ferrous ion by growing cells in the presence of organic compounds and metal ions, were examined. These properties may be used to characterize a range ofT. ferrooxidans isolates and for numerical taxonomy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baker K.H., Mills A.L.: Determination of the number of respiringThiobacillus ferrooxidans cells in water samples by using combined fluorescent antibody 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride staining.Appl. Environ.Microbiol.43, 338–344 (1982).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barros M.E.C., Rawlings D.E., Woods D.R.: Mixotrophic growth of aThiobacillus ferrooxidans strain.Appl.Environ. Microbiol.47, 593–595 (1984).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Das A., Bhattacharyya S., Banerjee P.C.: Purification ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans cultures by single colony isolation and influence of agarose on the colony morphology.J.Microbiol.Methods10, 281–287 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedrich C.G., Meyer O., Chandra T.S.: Molybdenum dependent sulfur oxidation in facultatively lithoautotrophic thiobacteria.FEMS Microbiol.Lett.37, 105–108 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guay R., Silver M., Torma A.E.: Ferrous iron oxidation and uranium extraction byThiobacillus ferrooxidans.Biotechnol.Bioeng.19, 727–740 (1977).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta S.G., Agate A.D.: Preservation ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans andThiobacillus thiooxidans with activity check.Antonie van Leeuwenhoek52, 121–127 (1986).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison A.P., Jr.:Acidiphilium cryptum gen. nov., sp. nov., heterotrophic bacterium from acidic mineral environments.Int.J.Syst.Bacteriol.31, 327–332 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison A.P., Jr.: Genomic and physiological diversity amongst strains ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans, and genomic comparison withThiobacillus thiooxidans.Arch.Microbiol.131, 68–76 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison A.P., Jr.: The acidophilic thiobacilli and other acidophilic bacteria that share their habitat.Ann.Rev.Microbiol.38, 265–295 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchins S.R., Davidson M.S., Brierley J.A., Brierley C.L.: Microorganisms in reclamation of metals:Ann.Rev.Microbiol.40, 311–336 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson M., Johnstone K.I., White D.: Taxonomy of the acidophilic thiobacilli.J.Gen.Microbiol.44, 373–381 (1966).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson M., Johnstone K.I., White D.: Taxonomy of the genusThiobacillus: the outcome of numerical taxonomy applied to the group as a whole.J.Gen.Microbiol.57, 397–410 (1969).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson D.B., Kelso W.I.: Detection of heterotrophic contaminants in cultures ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans and their elimination by subculturing in media containing copper sulphate.J.Gen.Microbiol.129, 2969–2972 (1983).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly D.P.: Autotrophy: Concepts of lithotrophic bacteria and their organic metabolism.Ann.Rev.Microbiol.25, 177–210 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly D.P.: Physiology of the thiobacilli: elucidating the sulfur oxidation pathway.Microbiol.Sci.2, 105–109 (1985).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lobos J.R., Chisolm T.E., Bopp L.H., Holmes D.S.:Acidiphilium organovorum sp. nov., an acidophilic heterotroph isolated from aThiobacillus ferrooxidans culture.Int.J.Syst.Bacteriol.36, 139–144 (1986).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Margalith P., Silver M., Lundgren D.G.: Sulfur oxidation by the iron bacteriumFerrobacillus ferrooxidans.J.Bacteriol.92, 1706–1709 (1966).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mason J., Kelly D.P., Wood A.P.: Chemolithotrophic and autotrophic growth ofThermothrix thiopara and some thiobacilli on thiosulphate and polythionates, and a reassessment of the growth yields ofThx. thiopara in chemostat culture.J.Gen.Microbiol.133, 1249–1256 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matin A.: Organic nutrition of chemolithotrophic bacteria.Ann.Rev.Microbiol.32, 433–468 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muyzer G., DeBruyn A.C., Schmedding D.J.M., Bos P., Westbroek P., Kuenen G.J.: A combined immunofluorescence-DNA-fluorescence staining technique for enumeration ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans in a population of acidophilic bacteria.Appl.Environ.Microbiol.53, 660–664 (1987).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra A.K., Roy P., Roy Mahapatra S.S.: Isolation ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans from various habitats and their growth pattern on solid medium.Curr.Microbiol.8, 147–152 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris P.R., Kelly D.P.: Toxic metals in leaching systems, pp. 83–102 in L.E. Murr, A.E. Torma, J.A. Brierley (Eds):Metallurgical Application of Bacterial Leaching and Related Microbiological Phenomena. Academic Press, New York 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralph B.J.: Biotechnology applied to raw mineral processing, pp. 201–234 in M. Moo-Young (Ed.): Comprehensive Biotechnology, IV. Pergamon Press, Oxford-New York-Toronto-Sydney-Frankfurt 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawlings D.E., Gawith C., Petersen A., Woods D.R.: Characterisation of plasmids and potential genetic markers inThiobacillus ferrooxidans, pp. 555–570 in G. Rossi, A.E. Torma (Eds):Recent Progress in Biohydrometallurgy. Associazione Mineraria Sarda, Iglesias (Italy) 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawungs D.E., Pretorius I.M., Woods D.R.: Expression of aThiobacillus ferrooxidans origin of replication inEscherichia coli.J.Bacteriol.158, 737–738 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawungs D.E., Jones WA, O’Neill E.G., Woods D.R.: Nucleotide sequence of the glutamine synthetase gene and its controlling region from the acidophilic autotrophThiobacillus ferrooxidans.Gene53, 211–217 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy Mahapatra S.S., Mishra A.K.: Inhibition of iron oxidation inThiobacillus ferrooxidans by toxic metals and its alleviation by EDTA.Curr.Microbiol.11, 1–6 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salazar O., Takamiya M., Orellana O.: Characterization of the two rRNA gene operons present inThiobacillus ferrooxidans.FEBS Lett.242, 439–443 (1989).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman M.P., Lundgren D.G.: Studies on the chemoautotrophic iron bacteriumFerrobacillus ferrooxidans. I. An improved medium and a harvesting procedure for securing high cell yields.J.Bacteriol.77, 642–647 (1959).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sneath P.H.A.: The application of computers to taxonomy.J.Gen.Microbiol.17, 201–226 (1957).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Torma A.E.: The role ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans in hydrometallurgical processes, pp. 1–37 in T.K. Ghosh, A. Fiechter and N. Blakebrough (Eds):Advances in Biochemical Engineering, Vol. 6. Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trevors J.T., Oddie K.M., Belliveau B.H.: Metal resistance in bacteria.FEMS Microbiol.Rev.32, 39–54 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuovinen O.H.: Some characteristics of iron-oxidizing thiobacilli isolated from uranium mine leach liquors, pp. 56–63 in G.I. Karavaiko, S.N. Groudev (Eds):Biogeotechnology of Metals. Centre of International Projects GKNT, Moscow 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuovinen O.H., Niemela S.I., Gyllenberg H.G.: Tolerance ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans to some metals.Anton.Leeuwen. J.Microbiol.Serol.37, 489–496 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuttle J.H., Dugan P.R.: Inhibition of growth, iron and sulfur oxidation inThiobacillus ferrooxidans by simple organic compounds.Can.J.Microbiol.22, 719–730 (1976).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuttle J.H., Dugan P.R.: Leakage of cellular material fromThiobacillus ferrooxidans in the presence of organic acids.Appl.Environ.Microbiol.33, 459–469 (1977).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Visca P., Valenti P., Orsi N.: Characterization of plasmids inThiobacillus ferrooxidans strains, pp. 429–441 in R.W. Lawrence, R.M.R. Branion, H.B. Ebner (Eds):Fundamental and Applied Biohydrometallurgy. Elsevier, Amsterdam 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vishniac W.V.:Thiobacillus, pp. 456–461 in R.E. Buchanan, N.E. Gibbons (Eds):Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology. The Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vishniac W.V., Santer M.: The Thiobacilli.Bacteriol.Rev.21, 195–213 (1957).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vogel A.I.:A Text Book of Quantitative Inorganic Analysis Including Elementary Instrumental Analysis, pp. 334–374. ELBS and Longman, London 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wichlacz P.L., Unz R.F., Langworthy T.A.:Acidiphilium angustum sp. nov.,Acidiphilium facilis sp. nov., andAcidiphilium rubrum sp. nov.: acidophilic heterotrophic bacteria isolated from acidic coal mine drainage.Int.J.Syst.Bacteriol.36, 197–201 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yates J.R., Holmes D.S.: Two families of repeated DNA sequences inThiobacillus ferrooxidans.J.Bacteriol.169, 1861–1870 (1987).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 700 032, Calcutta, India

    S. Bhattacharyya, A. Das, B. K. Chakrabarti & P. C. Banerjee

Authors
  1. S. Bhattacharyya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Das
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. K. Chakrabarti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. P. C. Banerjee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This work was part of a project sponsored by theHindustan Copper Limited, Calcutta. The authors are thankful to Dr. P.N. Kundu and Dr. S. Duttagupta for their help in the initiation of this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bhattacharyya, S., Das, A., Chakrabarti, B.K. et al. A comparative study of characteristic properties ofThiobacillus ferrooxidans strains. Folia Microbiol 37, 169–175 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02933142

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02933142

Keywords

Search

Navigation