Open AccessArsenite modifies structure of soil microbial communities and arsenite oxidization potential
Author(s) -
Lami Raphaël,
Jones L. Camille,
Cottrell Matthew T.,
Lafferty Brandon J.,
GinderVogel M.,
Sparks Donald L.,
Kirchman David L.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6941.12061
Subject(s) - arsenite , biology , pyrosequencing , environmental chemistry , microbial population biology , 16s ribosomal rna , effluent , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , arsenic , gene , biochemistry , chemistry , environmental engineering , genetics , organic chemistry , engineering
The influence of arsenite [ A s( III )] on natural microbial communities and the capacity of exposed communities to oxidize A s( III ) has not been well explored. In this study, we conducted soil column experiments with a natural microbial community exposed to different carbon conditions and a continuous flow of A s( III ). We measured the oxidation rates of A s( III ) to A s(V), and the composition of the bacterial community was monitored by 454 pyrosequencing of 16S r RNA genes. The diversity of A s( III )‐oxidizing bacteria was examined with the aox gene, which encodes the enzyme involved in A s( III ) oxidation. Arsenite oxidation was high in the live soil regardless of the carbon source and below detection in sterilized soil. In columns amended with 200 μmol kg −1 of A s ( III ), A s(V) concentrations reached 158 μmol kg −1 in the column effluent, while A s( III ) decreased to unmeasurable levels. Although the number of bacterial taxa decreased by as much as twofold in treatments amended with A s( III ), some A s( III )‐oxidizing bacterial groups increased up to 20‐fold. Collectively, the data show the large effect of A s( III ) on bacterial diversity, and the capacity of natural communities from a soil with low initial A s contamination to oxidize large inputs of A s( III ).