Microbial transformations of selenite by methane-oxidizing bacteria

ESWAYAH, Abdurrahman, SMITH, Thomas, SCHEINOST, Andreas, HONDOW, Nicole and GARDINER, Philip (2017). Microbial transformations of selenite by methane-oxidizing bacteria. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 101 (17), 6713-6724.

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Official URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-0...
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-017-8380-8

Abstract

Abstract Methane oxidizing bacteria are well known for their role in the global methane cycle and their potential for microbial transformation of wide range of hydrocarbon and chlorinated hydrocarbon pollution. Recently, it has also emerged that methane-oxidizing bacteria interact with inorganic pollutants in the environment. Here we report what we believe to be the first study of the interaction of pure strains of methane-oxidizing bacteria with selenite. Results indicate that the commonly used laboratory model strains of methane oxidizing bacteria, Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b are both able to reduce the toxic selenite (SeO32-) but not selenate (SeO42-) to red spherical nanoparticulate elemental selenium (Se0), which was characterised via EDX and EXAFS. The cultures also produced volatile selenium-containing species, which suggests that both strains may have an additional activity that can either transform Se0 or selenite into volatile methylated forms of selenium. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements and experiments with the cell fractions: cytoplasm, cell wall and cell membrane show that the nanoparticles are formed mainly on the cell wall. Collectively these results are promising for the use of methane-oxidizing bacteria for bioremediation or suggest possible uses in the production of selenium nanoparticles for biotechnology.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Environmental Biotechnology, Methane-oxidizing bacteria, Microbial transformation, Selenite, Elemental selenium, Bioremediation
Departments - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Health and Well-being > Department of Bioscience
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-017-8380-8
Page Range: 6713-6724
Depositing User: Philip Gardiner
Date Deposited: 06 Jul 2017 10:17
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 01:02
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/16022

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