From biomolecules to biogeochemistry: Exploring the interaction of an indigenous bacterium with gold

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dc.contributor.authorSanyal, S.K.
dc.contributor.authorPukala, T.
dc.contributor.authorMittal, P.
dc.contributor.authorReith, F.
dc.contributor.authorBrugger, J.
dc.contributor.authorEtschmann, B.
dc.contributor.authorShuster, J.
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractSpecialised microbial communities colonise the surface of gold particles in soils/sediments, and catalyse gold dissolution and re-precipitation, thereby contributing to the environmental mobility and toxicity of this ‘inert’ precious metal. We assessed the proteomic and physiological response of Serratia proteamaculans, the first metabolically active bacterium enriched and isolated directly from natural gold particles, when exposed to toxic levels of soluble Au3+ (10 μM). The results were compared to a metal-free blank, and to cultures exposed to similarly toxic levels of soluble Cu2+ (0.1 mM); Cu was chosen for comparison because it is closely associated with Au in nature due to similar geochemical properties. A total of 273 proteins were detected from the cells that experienced the oxidative effects of soluble Au, of which 139 (51%) were upregulated with either sole expression (31%) or had synthesis levels greater than the Au-free control (20%). The majority (54%) of upregulated proteins were functionally different from up-regulated proteins in the bacteria-copper treatment. These proteins were related to broad functions involving metabolism and biogenesis, followed by cellular process and signalling, indicating significant specificity for Au. This proteomic study revealed that the bacterium upregulates the synthesis of various proteins related to oxidative stress response (e.g., Monothiol-Glutaredoxin, Thiol Peroxidase, etc.) and cellular damage repair, which leads to the formation of metallic gold nanoparticles less toxic than ionic gold. Therefore, indigenous bacteria may mediate the toxicity of Au through two different yet simultaneous processes: i) repairing cellular components by replenishing damaged proteins and ii) neutralising reactive oxygen species (ROS) by up-regulating the synthesis of antioxidants. By connecting the fields of molecular bacteriology and environmental biogeochemistry, this study is the first step towards the development of biotechnologies based on indigenous bacteria applied to gold bio-recovery and bioremediation of contaminated environments.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilitySantonu K. Sanyal, Tara Pukala, Parul Mittal, Frank Reith, Joël Brugger, Barbara Etschmann, Jeremiah Shuster
dc.identifier.citationChemosphere, 2023; 339:139657-1-139657-12
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139657
dc.identifier.issn0045-6535
dc.identifier.issn1879-1298
dc.identifier.orcidPukala, T. [0000-0001-7391-1436]
dc.identifier.orcidMittal, P. [0000-0003-0139-9757]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/139645
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier BV
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT100150200
dc.rights© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139657
dc.subjectBiogeochemistry
dc.subjectCopper
dc.subjectGold
dc.subjectGold-associated proteins
dc.subjectMicrobe-mineral interaction
dc.subjectSerratia proteamaculans
dc.subject.meshBacteria
dc.subject.meshCopper
dc.subject.meshGold
dc.subject.meshProteomics
dc.subject.meshMetal Nanoparticles
dc.titleFrom biomolecules to biogeochemistry: Exploring the interaction of an indigenous bacterium with gold
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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