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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment
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Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 16041

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Zeev Ronen

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Guest Editor
Environmental Hydrology & Microbiology, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion Univresity of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
Interests: environmental microbiology; biodegradation; groundwater bioremediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Erica M. Hartmann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
Interests: environmental microbiology; anthropogenic chemicals; microbe-chemical interactions; public health
Prof. Dr. He-Ping Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
MOE Key Lab of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: environmental biotechnology; heavy metal removal; biodegradation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is a growing demand for understanding the interaction between inorganic pollutants and microbiota in the environment. Inorganic pollutants, originating from both natural sources and anthropogenic processes, reach the biosphere where microbiota play a primary role in their fate. Furthermore, inorganic contaminants can alter microbial habitats and thereby impact the ability of the microbiota to perform their natural function. Common examples of inorganic pollutants include heavy metals, halides, oxyanions and cations, inorganic nanoparticles, and radionuclides. Microbial transformation mostly affects their mobilization or immobilization in the environment, as many of these pollutants are not biodegradable. These reactions can lead to movement of inorganic pollutants between different phases of the biosphere, such as from the hydrosphere to the lithosphere and vice versa, as well as emission to the atmosphere. Recent advances in understanding microbiota in the environment using -omics methods (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) allows for unprecedented understanding of the interactions between microbiota and inorganic pollutants. The Special Issue aims to collect cutting-edge studies in this subject—in particular, to provide a holistic view of the microbial processes affecting the fate of inorganic pollutants in the environment and the effect of these chemicals on native microbial communities’ structure and functions.

Papers will be selected by peer review, with the expected outcome being wide dissemination of research results. Original research articles and review articles on the above aspects of inorganic pollutants in the environment are of interest.

Prof. Zeev Ronen
Prof. Erica M. Hartmann
Prof. He-Ping Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1803 KiB  
Article
Effects of Perchlorate and Other Groundwater Inorganic Co-Contaminants on Aerobic RDX Degradation
by Amit Yadav, Swati Gupta, Paula Istvan and Zeev Ronen
Microorganisms 2022, 10(3), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10030663 - 20 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2081
Abstract
Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) pollution is accompanied by other co-contaminants, such as perchlorate and chlorates, which can retard biodegradation. The effects of perchlorate and chlorate on aerobic RDX degradation remain unclear. We hypothesized that they have a negative or no impact on aerobic RDX-degrading bacteria. [...] Read more.
Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) pollution is accompanied by other co-contaminants, such as perchlorate and chlorates, which can retard biodegradation. The effects of perchlorate and chlorate on aerobic RDX degradation remain unclear. We hypothesized that they have a negative or no impact on aerobic RDX-degrading bacteria. We used three aerobic RDX-degrading strains—Rhodococcus strains YH1 and T7 and Gordonia YY1—to examine this hypothesis. The strains were exposed to perchlorate, chlorate, and nitrate as single components or in a mixture. Their growth, degradation activity, and gene expression were monitored. Strain-specific responses to the co-contaminants were observed: enhanced growth of strain YH1 and inhibition of strain T7. Vmax and Km of cytochrome P450 (XplA) in the presence of the co-contaminants were not significantly different from the control, suggesting no direct influence on cytochrome P450. Surprisingly, xplA expression increased fourfold in cultures pre-grown on RDX and, after washing, transferred to a medium containing only perchlorate. This culture did not grow, but xplA was translated and active, albeit at lower levels than in the control. We explained this observation as being due to nitrogen limitation in the culture and not due to perchlorate induction. Our results suggest that the aerobic strain YH1 is effective for aerobic remediation of RDX in groundwater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment)
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10 pages, 1191 KiB  
Article
Performance of Aerobic Denitrification by the Strain Pseudomonas balearica RAD-17 in the Presence of Antibiotics
by Yunjie Ruan, Lei Cai, Huifeng Lu, Meng Zhang, Xiangyang Xu and Wenbing Li
Microorganisms 2021, 9(8), 1584; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9081584 - 26 Jul 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2048
Abstract
Aerobic denitrification, one of the important nitrate metabolic pathways in biological denitrification, has been attracting increasing interest recently due to its functional advantages. In order to evaluate the effect of antibiotics on aerobic denitrification and guide practical engineering application of aerobic denitrification techniques, [...] Read more.
Aerobic denitrification, one of the important nitrate metabolic pathways in biological denitrification, has been attracting increasing interest recently due to its functional advantages. In order to evaluate the effect of antibiotics on aerobic denitrification and guide practical engineering application of aerobic denitrification techniques, we evaluated the performance of aerobic denitrification by the strain Pseudomonas balearica RAD-17 in the presence of ciprofloxacin (CFX) and oxytetracycline (OTC). No significant negative impact on the performance of aerobic denitrification in the presence of CFX or OTC within the range of 50 to 300 μg L−1 was found. Significant degradation of OTC was found within the range of 50 μg L−1 to 300 μg L−1 under aerobic denitrification conditions, while no degradation was found for CFX. Stimulation of cell growth occurred within the investigated range of antibiotics. Under anoxic or aerobic conditions, the addition of CFX or OTC changed the N2O production trend. The results in the present study may play an important role in informing the use of aerobic denitrification techniques in the presence of antibiotics within environmentally relevant concentrations (<1 mg/L). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment)
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14 pages, 2333 KiB  
Article
The Mechanism of Microbial-Ferromanganese Nodule Interaction and the Contribution of Biomineralization to the Formation of Oceanic Ferromanganese Nodules
by Jing Lyu, Xinke Yu, Mingyu Jiang, Wenrui Cao, Gaowa Saren and Fengming Chang
Microorganisms 2021, 9(6), 1247; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061247 - 08 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
Ferromanganese nodules are an important mineral resource in the seafloor; however, the genetic mechanism is still unknown. The biomineralization of microorganisms appears to promote ferromanganese nodule formation. To investigate the possible mechanism of microbial–ferromanganese nodule interaction, to test the possibility of marine microorganisms [...] Read more.
Ferromanganese nodules are an important mineral resource in the seafloor; however, the genetic mechanism is still unknown. The biomineralization of microorganisms appears to promote ferromanganese nodule formation. To investigate the possible mechanism of microbial–ferromanganese nodule interaction, to test the possibility of marine microorganisms as deposition template for ferromanganese nodules minerals, the interactions between Jeotgalibacillus campisalis strain CW126-A03 and ferromanganese nodules were studied. The results showed that strain CW126-A03 increased ion concentrations of Fe, Mn, and other metal elements in solutions at first. Then, metal ions were accumulated on the cells’ surface and formed ultra-micro sized mineral particles, even crystalline minerals. Strain CW126-A03 appeared to release major elements in ferromanganese nodules, and the cell surface may be a nucleation site for mineral precipitation. This finding highlights the potentially important role of biologically induced mineralization (BIM) in ferromanganese nodule formation. This BIM hypothesis provides another perspective for understanding ferromanganese nodules’ genetic mechanism, indicating the potential of microorganisms in nodule formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment)
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13 pages, 2920 KiB  
Article
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Increase Pb Uptake of Colonized and Non-Colonized Medicago truncatula Root and Deliver Extra Pb to Colonized Root Segment
by Haoqiang Zhang, Wei Ren, Yaru Zheng, Yanpeng Li, Manzhe Zhu and Ming Tang
Microorganisms 2021, 9(6), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061203 - 02 Jun 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2254
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi establish symbiosis and improve the lead (Pb) tolerance of host plants. The AM plants accumulate more Pb in roots than their non-mycorrhizal counterparts. However, the direct and long-term impact of AM fungi on plant Pb uptake has been rarely [...] Read more.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi establish symbiosis and improve the lead (Pb) tolerance of host plants. The AM plants accumulate more Pb in roots than their non-mycorrhizal counterparts. However, the direct and long-term impact of AM fungi on plant Pb uptake has been rarely reported. In this study, AM fungus (Rhizophagus irregularis) colonized and non-colonized roots of Medicago truncatula were separated by a split-root system, and their differences in responding to Pb application were compared. The shoot biomass accumulation and transpiration were increased after R. irregularis inoculation, whereas the biomass of both colonized and non-colonized roots was decreased. Lead application in the non-colonized root compartment increased the R. irregularis colonization rate and up-regulated the relative expressions of MtPT4 and MtBCP1 in the colonized root compartments. Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation increased Pb uptake in both colonized and non-colonized roots, and R. irregularis transferred Pb to the colonized root segment. The Pb transferred through the colonized root segment had low mobility and might be sequestrated and compartmented in the root by R. irregularis. The Pb uptake of roots might follow water flow, which is facilitated by MtPIP2. The quantification of Pb transfer via the mycorrhizal pathway and the involvement of MtPIP2 deserve further study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment)
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14 pages, 4451 KiB  
Article
Pseudodesulfovibrio cashew sp. Nov., a Novel Deep-Sea Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium, Linking Heavy Metal Resistance and Sulfur Cycle
by Rikuan Zheng, Shimei Wu and Chaomin Sun
Microorganisms 2021, 9(2), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020429 - 19 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3355
Abstract
Sulfur cycling is primarily driven by sulfate reduction mediated by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in marine sediments. The dissimilatory sulfate reduction drives the production of enormous quantities of reduced sulfide and thereby the formation of highly insoluble metal sulfides in marine sediments. Here, a [...] Read more.
Sulfur cycling is primarily driven by sulfate reduction mediated by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in marine sediments. The dissimilatory sulfate reduction drives the production of enormous quantities of reduced sulfide and thereby the formation of highly insoluble metal sulfides in marine sediments. Here, a novel sulfate-reducing bacterium designated Pseudodesulfovibrio cashew SRB007 was isolated and purified from the deep-sea cold seep and proposed to represent a novel species in the genus of Pseudodesulfovibrio. A detailed description of the phenotypic traits, phylogenetic status and central metabolisms of strain SRB007 allowed the reconstruction of the metabolic potential and lifestyle of a novel member of deep-sea SRB. Notably, P. cashew SRB007 showed a strong ability to resist and remove different heavy metal ions including Co2+, Ni2+, Cd2+ and Hg2+. The dissimilatory sulfate reduction was demonstrated to contribute to the prominent removal capability of P. cashew SRB007 against different heavy metals via the formation of insoluble metal sulfides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment)
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12 pages, 1378 KiB  
Article
How the Soil Microbial Communities and Activities Respond to Long-Term Heavy Metal Contamination in Electroplating Contaminated Site
by Wen-Jing Gong, Zi-Fan Niu, Xing-Run Wang and He-Ping Zhao
Microorganisms 2021, 9(2), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9020362 - 12 Feb 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2489
Abstract
The effects of long-term heavy metal contamination on the soil biological processes and soil microbial communities were investigated in a typical electroplating site in Zhangjiakou, China. It was found that the soil of the electroplating plant at Zhangjiakou were heavily polluted by Cr, [...] Read more.
The effects of long-term heavy metal contamination on the soil biological processes and soil microbial communities were investigated in a typical electroplating site in Zhangjiakou, China. It was found that the soil of the electroplating plant at Zhangjiakou were heavily polluted by Cr, Cr (VI), Ni, Cu, and Zn, with concentrations ranged from 112.8 to 9727.2, 0 to 1083.3, 15.6 to 58.4, 10.8 to 510.0 and 69.6 to 631.6 mg/kg, respectively. Soil urease and phosphatase activities were significantly inhibited by the heavy metal contamination, while the microbial biomass carbon content and the bacterial community richness were much lower compared to noncontaminated samples, suggesting that the long-term heavy metal contamination had a severe negative effect on soil microorganisms. Differently, soil dehydrogenase was promoted in the presence of Chromate compared to noncontaminated samples. This might be due to the enrichment of Sphingomonadaceae, which have been proven to be able to secrete dehydrogenase. The high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene documented that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi were the dominant bacterial phyla in the contaminated soil. The Spearman correlation analysis showed the Methylobacillus, Muribaculaceae, and Sphingomonadaceae were able to tolerate high concentrations of Cr, Cr (VI), Cu, and Zn, indicating their potential in soil remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction between Inorganic Pollutants and Microbiota in the Environment)
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