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Authordc.contributor.authorVera, Mario 
Authordc.contributor.authorPagliai, Fernando es_CL
Authordc.contributor.authorGuiliani Guerin, Nicolás es_CL
Authordc.contributor.authorJerez Guevara, Carlos es_CL
Admission datedc.date.accessioned2010-01-26T17:16:47Z
Available datedc.date.available2010-01-26T17:16:47Z
Publication datedc.date.issued2008-03
Cita de ítemdc.identifier.citationAPPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Volume: 74, Issue: 6, Pages: 1829-1835, 2008en_US
Identifierdc.identifier.issn0099-2240
Identifierdc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/118982
Abstractdc.description.abstractThe chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans is of great importance in biomining operations. During the bioleaching of ores, microorganisms are subjected to a variety of environmental stresses and to the limitations of some nutrients, such as inorganic phosphate (Pi), which is an essential component for all living cells. Although the primary source of phosphorus for microorganisms is Pi, some bacteria are also able to metabolize Pi esters (with a C-O-P bond) and phosphonates (with a very inert C-P bond). By using bioinformatic analysis of genomic sequences of the type strain of A. ferrooxidans (ATCC 23270), we found that as part of a Pho regulon, this bacterium has a complete gene cluster encoding C-P lyase, which is the main bacterial enzyme involved in phosphonate (Pn) degradation in other microorganisms. A. ferrooxidans was able to grow in the presence of methyl-Pn or ethyl-Pn as an alternative phosphorus source. Under these growth conditions, a great reduction in inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) levels was seen compared with the level for cells grown in the presence of Pi. By means of reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), DNA macroarrays, and real-time RT-PCR experiments, it was found that A. ferrooxidans phn genes were cotranscribed and their expression was induced when the microorganism was grown in methyl-Pn as the only phosphorus source. This is the first report of phosphonate utilization in a chemolithoautotrophic microorganism. The existence of a functional C-P lyase system is a clear advantage for the survival under Pi limitation, a condition that may greatly affect the bioleaching of ores.en_US
Patrocinadordc.description.sponsorshipThis work was supported by ICM P-05-001-F project and doctoral fellowships from CONICYT, ICM, and the Maria Ghilardi Venegas Foundation to M.V.en_US
Lenguagedc.language.isoenen_US
Publisherdc.publisherAMER SOC MICROBIOLOGYen_US
Keywordsdc.subjectCARBON-PHOSPHORUS BONDen_US
Títulodc.titleThe chemolithoautotroph Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans can survive under phosphate-limiting conditions by expressing a C-P lyase operon that allows it to grow on phosphonatesen_US
Document typedc.typeArtículo de revista


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