Cysteine-Mediated Reductive Dissolution of Poorly Crystalline Iron(III) Oxides by Geobacter sulfurreducens

The reductive dissolution of poorly crystalline ferric oxides in the presence of cysteine was investigated to evaluate the potential of cysteine as a possible electron carrier to stimulate the reduction of iron(III) oxides by Geobacter sulfurreducens. The extent and rate of biotic and abiotic reduction of iron(III) oxides in the presence of cysteine at various concentrations were compared. Iron(III) oxides were reduced abiotically by cysteine. The initial rate and extent of iron(III) oxide reduction were correlated linearly with the cysteine concentration ranging from 0 to 6 mM. Also, addition of 0.5-2 mM cysteine significantly stimulated the rate and the extent of iron(III) oxide reduction in cultures of G. sulfurreducens. The cysteine concentration decreased in accordance with the increase of Fe(II) concentration and reached a nearly constant residual concentration. Cysteine depletion followed first-order kinetics and increased linearly with the cysteine concentration. An 8- to 11-fold increase in the extent of iron(III) oxide reduction relative to the abiotic system was observed. Comparison of sorbed and dissolved Fe(II) concentrations between cultures amended with cysteine and with other organic chelators showed that solubilization is not the main factor in cysteine-stimulated Fe(III) reduction. Addition of cystine could enhanced the extent of iron(III) oxide reduction, concomitant with the increase of the regenerated cysteine concentration and support the hypothesis that cysteine could serve as an electron carrier to transfer electrons from G. sulfurreducens to poorly crystalline iron(III) oxides.